Heat Stress

Dr. Lim Jac Fang

Occupational & Environmental Health
Department of Health, Sabah
What Is Heat Stress?
Working or playing where it is hot puts stress
on our body's cooling system.
When the heat is combined with other
stresses such as hard physical work, loss of
fluids, fatigue or some medical conditions, it
may lead to heat-related illness, disability and
even death.
This can happen to anybody--even if you are
young and fit.
Heat stress is usually a concern in the tropics.
This is especially true in Malaysia, when
people are frequently exposed to the heat.
How We Cope With Heat
Your body is always generating heat and
passing it to the environment.
The harder your body is working, the more
heat it has to lose.
When the environment is hot or humid or has
a source of radiant heat (for example, a
furnace or the sun), your body must work
harder to get rid of its heat.
If the air is moving (for example, from fans)
and it is cooler than your body, it is easier for
your body to pass heat to the environment.
Workers over 40 should be more careful
because of a reduced ability to sweat.
Controlling Heat Stress
Acclimatization
The longer you do hard work in the heat the
better your body becomes at keeping cool.
If you are not used to working in the heat
then you must take a week or two to get
acclimatized or used to the heat.
If you were ill or away from work for a week
or so you can lose your acclimatization.
There are two ways to acclimatize:
1. If you are experienced on the job, limit your
time in the hot environment to 50% of the
shift on the first day and 80% on the
second day.
 You can work a full shift the third day.
 If you are not experienced on the job (for
example, a new worker) you should start
off spending 20% of the time in the hot
environment on the first day and increase
your time by 20% each following day.
2. Instead of reducing the exposure times to
the hot job, you can become acclimatized
by reducing the physical demands of the job
for a week or two.
If you have health problems or are not in
good physical condition, you may need longer
periods of acclimatization.
Hot spells in tropical countries like Malaysia
last long enough to allow acclimatization.
When it is hot, consider some of the following
engineering and administrative controls.
Heat Stress Hazards
 Cause Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Heat Hot humid Red bumpy rash Change into dry clothes Wash regularly to keep
Rash environment; with severe itching. and avoid hot skin clean and dry.
plugged sweat environments. Rinse
glands. skin with cool water.

Sunbu Too much Red, painful, or If the skin blisters, seek Work in the shade:
rn exposure to the blistering and medical aid. Use skin cover skin with
sun. peeling skin. lotions (avoid topical clothing; wear suntan
anaesthetics) and work lotions with a sun
in the shade. protection factor of at
least 15. People with
fair skin should be
especially cautious.
 Heat Cramps

Cause Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Heavy sweating Painful cramps in Move to a cool area; When working in the
drains a person's body arms, legs or stomach loosen clothing and heat, workers should
of salt, which cannot which occur suddenly drink cool salted put salt on their food
be replaced just by at work or later at water ( 1 tsp. salt per (if on a low-salt diet,
drinking water. home. gallon of water) or this should be
Cramps are serious commercial fluid discussed with a
because they can be a replacement beverage. doctor). This will give
warning of other more If the cramps are the body all the salt it
dangerous heat- severe or don't go needs; don't take salt
induced illnesses. away, seek medical tablets.
aid.
 Fainting

Cause Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Not enough blood Sudden fainting after at Fainting may be due to Reduce activity levels
flowing to the head, least two hours of a heart attack or other and/or heat exposure.
causing loss of work; cool moist skin; illness. GET Drink fluids regularly.
consciousness. weak pulse. MEDICAL Workers should check
ATTENTION. Assess on each other to help
need for CPR. spot the symptoms
Move to a cool area; which often precede
loosen clothing; make heat stroke.
person lie down; and if
the person is
conscious, offer sips of
cool water.
 Heat Exhaustion

Cause Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Inadequate salt and Heavy sweating; cool GET MEDICAL AID. Reduce activity levels
water intake causes a moist skin; body This condition can lead and/or heat exposure.
person's body's cooling temperature over 38oC; to heat stroke, which Drink fluids regularly.
system to start to break weak pulse; normal or can kill. Move the Workers should check
down. low blood pressure; person to a cool shaded on each other to help
person is tired, weak, areas; loosen or remove spot the symptoms
clumsy, upset or excess clothing; which often precede
confused; is very provide cool water to heat stroke.
thirsty; or is panting or drink (salted if
breathing rapidly, possible); fan and spray
vision may be blurred. with cool water.
 Heat Stroke

Cause Symptoms Treatment Prevention

If a person's body has High body temperature CALL AMBULANCE. Reduce activity levels
used up all its water (over 41oC) and any This condition can kill and/or heat exposure.
and salt, it will stop one of the following: a person quickly. Drink fluids regularly.
sweating. This can the person is weak, Remove excess Workers should check
cause body temperature confused, upset or clothing; fan and spray on each other to help
to rise. acting strangely; has the person with cool spot the symptoms
hot, dry, red skin; a fast water; offer sips of cool which often precede
pulse; a headache or water if the person is heat stroke.
dizziness. In later conscious.
stages, a person may
pass out and have
convulsions.
Modifying Work and the
Environment
Management and the Joint Health and Safety
Committee can reduce heat stress in the
following ways:
Engineering Controls
Control the heat at source through the use of
insulating and reflective barriers (insulate
furnace walls).
Exhaust hot air and steam produced by
specific operations.
Reduce the temperature and humidity
through air cooling.
Provide air-conditioned rest areas.
Increase air movement if temperature is less
than 35°C (fans).
Reduce physical demands of work task
through mechanical assistance (hoists, lift-
tables, etc.).
Administrative Controls
Health and safety committees should assess
the demands of all jobs and have monitoring
and control strategies in place for hot days.
Increase the frequency and length of rest
breaks.
Schedule hot jobs to cooler times of the day.
Provide cool drinking water near workers and
remind them to drink a cup every 20 minutes
or so.
Workers should salt their food well,
particularly while they are acclimatizing to a
hot job (workers with a low salt diet should
discuss this with their doctor).
Assign additional workers or slow down work
pace.
Make sure everyone is properly acclimatized.
Train workers to recognize the signs and
symptoms of heat stress and start a 'buddy
system' since people are not likely to notice
their own symptoms.
Pregnant workers and workers with a medical
condition should discuss working in the heat
with their doctor.
Personal Protective
Equipment
Light clothing should be worn to allow free air
movement and sweat evaporation.
Outside, wear light-coloured clothing.
In a high radiant heat situation, reflective
clothing may help.
For very hot environments, air, water or ice-
cooled insulated clothing should be
considered.
Vapour barrier clothing, such as acid suits,
greatly increases the amount of heat stress
on the body, and extra caution is necessary.
Threshold Limit Values for Heat Stress
published by the American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
used as reference.
These values are based on preventing
fit, acclimatized workers' core
temperatures from rising above 38oC.
 Examples of Permissible Heat Exposure Threshold Limit Values

Work – Rest Regimen Work Load

(per hour)
Light Moderate Heavy

Temperature in Degrees C and (F)

Continuous Work 30.0 (86) 26.7 (80) 25.0 (77)

75%Work – 25%Rest 30.6 (87) 28.0 (82) 25.9 (78)

50%Work – 50%Rest 31.4 (89) 29.4 (85) 27.9 (82)

25%Work – 75%Rest 32.2 (90) 31.1 (88) 30.0 (86)

Thank You!