Hot weather

The summer season often brings hot temperatures and high humidity. When our bodies are exposed to these conditions, we usually react by sweating, which cools us off and regulates our body temperature. Normal body temperature is between 36°C and 38°C. If your body’s temperature rises above normal, it can lead to heat stress, which is the body’s inability to control its internal temperature.

Symptoms of heat stress include the following:

• excessive sweating, which causes the body to lose fluid and increases heart rate
• heat illness: headaches, nausea, vomiting or dizziness
• heat exhaustion: tired or weak, moist skin, rapid or weak pulse
• heat stroke: hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, mental confusion, unconsciousness, seizures, convulsions or even death

Note: Prolonged sun exposure can lead to skin cancer.

Ways to prevent heat stress

• wear light and loose-fitting clothing
• work in workspaces with good ventilation (for indoor work)
• drink water when you’re thirsty
• take frequent breaks when working in the heat and rotate work tasks to avoid too much exposure to heat
• work indoors instead of outdoors, if possible
• use shades and sunscreen

Employers should anticipate whether their workers will be exposed to hot weather environments and create hot weather safe work procedures in consultation with the safety and health committee, the worker representative, or if there is no safety and health committee or representative, with the workers themselves.