January 26, 2012
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Heat Related Illness in the Workplace: Awareness and Prevention
When people think about workplace injuries, most envision construction accidents, a shipping employee straining a back, or similar ailments which affect job performance.
An often overlooked workplace danger for many people, however, especially in California where temperatures can reach triple digits, is working in extreme heat. Heat is a significant hazard and can lead to serious accidents, injuries or illnesses.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), several thousand workers become sick annually from on the job heat exposure and a large majority of these occurrences are preventable. Workers, as well as their supervisors, should be aware of conditions conducive to work related heat sicknessor other illnesses.
Heat Related Symptoms and Prevention Tips
While certain occupations, such as construction, food preparation and professional athletics, are well known for subjecting workers to warm conditions, everyone should be aware of heat illness symptoms. The Mayo Clinic lists common symptoms as:
-Suddenly feeling faint or dizzy
-Nausea
-Excessive sweating
-Hurried heartbeat
-Fatigue
-Cramping or headaches
Preventing Heat Illness
Proper education and training may prevent heat related sicknesses, but the most important consideration is workers knowing their own body's limitations. For example, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that those who are over 65 years of age, overweight, have a history of heart diseases, or are taking medication, are at a higher risk for heat related complications. Individuals falling into these categories should be sure to hydrate frequently, take breaks as needed, and stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible.
Additionally, OSHA suggests gradually building a tolerance to working in warm conditions, rather than working full days in extreme heat immediately. Slowly increasing the workload and allowing longer breaks during the first several days can be very valuable and allows the body to acclimate to the warm conditions.
Finally, open dialogue regarding workplace safety is very important, not only for heat related sicknesses, but for all potential workplace injuries. If you have questions about working conditions or have been injured on the job, you should consider speaking with an experienced workers compensation attorney.
Article provided by California Law Associates
Visit us at http://www.attorney4u.us
---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com# # #
Read more Press Releases from FL Web Advantage:
