Are you doing everything you can to minimize your workers’ exposure to heat-related illnesses? Does your company have a heat illness prevention program in place? We’ve go you covered with these tips and guidelines for keeping your workers safe and productive during these hot summer days.

1. PREVENTING
HEAT ILLNESSES
Construction Site Safety Guide

2. 2 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
Are you doing everything you can to minimize your workers’
exposure to heat-related illnesses? Does your company
have a heat illness prevention program in place? We’ve got
you covered with these tips and guidelines for keeping your
workers safe and productive during these hot summer days.

3. 3 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
TRAINING
Training should be provided to all employees and supervisors working in high temperatures
for any extended amount of time. Topics covered in the training should include how heat
can affect the body, how to identify the signs and symptoms of various heat illnesses and
what steps to take if a worker is experiencing symptoms of a heat-related illness or if they
observe a coworker with symptoms.
Stress to employees the importance of getting plenty of water, shade and rest especially on
days when the temperatures are higher than normal or when they are doing tasks that put
them at a higher risk of suffering a heat-related illness. Explain to workers that in addition to
the heat and humidity,certain work environments like roofing or roadwork,sun exposure and
body heat created by physical exertion can all lead to heat-related illnesses.

4. 4 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
PROVIDE WATER
An ample supply of cool drinking water should be provided and easily accessible for
all employees on the construction site. The general rule of thumb is a quart of water per
employee per hour during their shift.Remind workers they should not wait until they are thirsty.
Drinking small amounts on a frequent basis is best.
If workers want additional drinks at the construction site,encourage them to bring something
that contains electrolytes, like coconut water or sports drinks, to replenish what is lost while
sweating.

5. 5 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
PROVIDE SHADE
As a general rule, once the temperatures start hitting 80° F shade from the sun should be
provided for workers during breaks and rest periods. Full shade is needed for workers to be
able to cool off. Examples include tents, air-conditioned site trailers or vehicles or ventilated
buildings. Workers should be encouraged to rest and cool off in shaded areas throughout
the day. Shaded areas should be easily accessible especially in the event a worker begins
having symptoms of heat illness and needs assistance in getting out of the sun.

6. 6 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
ACCLIMATIZATION
Workers need to get acclimatized to working in hotter temperatures. It can take anywhere
from a few days to a couple of weeks for workers to full adapt to the heat. Once your body
gets fully acclimatized to the heat you will begin sweating earlier and at a faster rate and
the sweat will contain lesser amounts of sodium. All of this allows your body to retain more
water and cool you better. Acclimatization will also improve blood flow and reduce your
heart rate when working in high temperatures.
Intense activity should be limited during the first few days of acclimatization.Workloads should
be gradually increased each day as the body gets used to the strenuous work in the heat.
It is important to monitor workers during this process as they are at a higher risk of suffering
heat illness before their bodies get adapted to the heat.

7. 7 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
MONITOR THE FORECAST
As the heat index rises during the day, so does the risk level for workers to suffer a heat
illness. Supervisors and safety managers should monitor the forecast for each day so that
the proper protective measures can be implemented. The heat index is a combination of
air temperature and relative humidity and is used to how hot it actually feels outside.
OSHA recently updated their Heat SafetyTool app for iPhone and Android.Instead of manually
having to enter both the temperature and humidity,the app can now automatically pull that
data for your current location from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and calculate the heat index and risk level along with necessary precautions to
take. The app lets you choose between the current data or the highs forecast for the day,
or you still have the option to manually enter both the temperature and the humidity to
calculate the heat index.

8. 8 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
MONITORING EMPLOYEES
Workers should be monitored frequently throughout the day to ensure that they aren’t showing
any signs or symptoms of heat illness. This can be as simple as verbally communicating
with all workers to more advanced measures such as checking an employee’s heart rate,
temperature,blood pressure and water loss.Workers should be responsible for self-monitoring
as well and should report any symptoms to a supervisor immediately. Pairing workers up on
the buddy system is also a great way to keep an extra eye on all your workers.
Workers should be made aware that personal risk factors can make them more susceptible to
heat illness.These include age,overall health,level of acclimatization,alcohol consumption,
prescription drugs and the amount of water consumed throughout the day.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include headache; dizziness; weakness; cold,pale or clammy
skin; fast or weak pulse; nausea or vomiting and fainting. Not all of these symptoms will
necessarily be present if suffering from heat exhaustion.
Symptoms of heat stroke include high body temperature (above 103°F); hot, red, dry or
moist skin; difficulty breathing; confusion; seizure; heavy sweating; rapid and strong pulse
and possible unconsciousness.Heat stroke is the more serious of the two main types of heat
illness. Heat stroke can cause major damage to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and muscles.

9. 9 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
TAKE PROTECTIVE MEASURES
OSHA has compiled the following chart of protective measures to take based on the heat
index and associated risk level:

10. Heat Index
< 91oF
Heat Index
91oF - 103oF
Heat Index
103oF - 115oF
Heat Index
> 115oF
Risk Level
Lower (Caution)
Risk Level
Moderate
Risk Level
High
Risk Level
Very High to Extreme
• Provide drinking water
• Ensure that adequate medical services are available
• Plan ahead for times when heat index is higher,
including worker heat safety training
• Encourage workers to wear sunscreen
• Acclimatize workers
If workers must wear heavy protective clothing, perform
strenuous activity or work in the direct sun, additional
precautions are recommended to protect workers from
heat-related illness.
• Remind workers to drink water often (about 4 cups/hour)
• Review heat-related illness topics with workers: how to
recognize heat-related illness,how to prevent it,and what
to do if someone gets sick
• Schedule frequent breaks in cool, shaded area
• Acclimatize workers
• Set up buddy system/instruct supervisors to watch workers
for signs of heat-related illness
If workers must wear heavy protective clothing, perform
strenuous activity or work in the direct sun, additional
precautions are recommended to protect workers from
heat-related illness.
• Schedule activities at a time when the heat index is lower
• Develop work/rest schedules
• Monitor workers closely
• Actively encourage workers to drink plenty of water
(about 4 cups/hour)
• Limit physical exertion (e.g. use mechanical lifts)
• Have a knowledgeable person at the worksite who is well-
informed about heat-related illness and able to determine
appropriate work/rest schedules
• Establish and enforce work/rest schedules
• Adjust work activities (e.g.,reschedule work,pace/rotate
jobs)
• Use cooling techniques
• Watch/communicate with workers at all times
When possible, reschedule activities to a time when heat
index is lower.
Reschedule non-essential activity for days with a reduced
heat index or to a time when the heat index is lower.Move
essential work tasks to the coolest part of the work shift.
Strenuous work tasks and those requiring the use of heavy
or non-breathable clothing or impermeable chemical
protective clothing should not be conducted when the
heat index is at or above 115°F.
If essential work must be done, in addition to the steps
listed above:
• Alert workers of extreme heat hazards
• Establish water drinking schedule (about 4 cups/hour)
• Develop and enforce protective work/rest schedules
• Conduct physiological monitoring (e.g. pulse,
temperature, etc)
• Stop work if essential control methods are inadequate
or unavailable.

11. 11 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Immediate action should be taken as soon as a worker is observed or reports any signs or
symptoms of heat illness. In the event of an emergency, 911 should be called immediately.
Workers and supervisors should both be able to give their current location and a description
of symptoms to the 911 dispatcher.First aid should be provided to the worker based on their
symptoms.
For heat exhaustion or cramps, workers should be moved to a cool, shaded area and be
given plenty of cool water to drink. Tight clothing should be loosened and ice packs can
be applied until the worker is feeling better. If heat exhaustion doesn’t improve or worsens
after an hour of rest, the worker should seek medical attention.
For heat stroke,call 911 immediately and begin to administer first aid.This includes moving to
an air-conditioned area where they can lie down and removing any unnecessary clothing.
Cool the body by applying ice packs to the worker’s armpits, groin, back and neck to get
their core body temperature down. Alternatives include wetting the skin while fanning air
over the body or immersion in cool water or an ice bath.

12. 12 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site
HAVE A PLAN
They key to keeping your workers safe and preventing heat-related illnesses from occurring
at your construction site is to have a written heat illness prevention program as part of your
company’s overall policy. The information provided is a great starting point and general
guideline for creating a prevention program for your company.
AS ALWAYS,WORK SMART, BE SAFE!

13. PREVENTING HEAT ILLNESS AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE
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13 | Preventing Heat Illnesses at the Construction Site

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