High Temperatures at Work – Guidelines for the Workplace

All workers have the right to an environment where health and safety risks are properly managed, and temperature at the workplace is one such risk that employers must assess. Regardless of whether work takes place outdoors or indoors (in industries with intense heat or in physically demanding jobs), workers across nearly all sectors may face high temperatures that can lead to heat stress.

Measures and Recommendations for Workplace Risk Assessment

As highlighted in our previous article about the importance of risk assessment (Temperature in the Workplace - How to Ensure Optimal Conditions for Employees), we remind employers to also consider the following when preparing their assessment documents:

• Nature of the work and workload – the higher the work intensity, the more body heat is generated.
• Work environment – including air temperature, humidity, air movement, and proximity to heat sources.
• Work clothing and personal protective equipment – which may restrict sweating and other thermoregulation mechanisms.
• Age, physical constitution, and health conditions of the worker (e.g. hormonal imbalances or pre-existing diseases) which influence heat tolerance.

Risk assessment can help determine:

• The severity of the risk.
• The effectiveness of existing control measures.
• Additional actions needed to manage the risk.
• Urgency of intervention.

When conducting a risk assessment, the employer must consider:

• Impact of the hazard.
• Likelihood of the hazard causing harm.

A worker’s perception of heat depends on various factors, including their physical characteristics, the task they are performing, and the work environment.

Assessment of heat stress risks must be part of the overall workplace risk assessment and coordinated with other hazards, including those that may arise as a result of preventive measures introduced to manage heat stress. The risk assessment should be regularly reviewed and updated—especially when conditions change, such as with automation to reduce physical workload, adjustments to ventilation, or installation of air conditioning. Ensure that air conditioning and ventilation systems are maintained and cleaned regularly!

Organizational Measures

 To reduce both environmental (external factors) and metabolic (heat generated by physical effort) heat stress, changes in work practices and hygiene protocols must be implemented—especially where technical controls or task mechanization are not feasible. Organizational measures may include:

• Limiting time spent in the heat and/or increasing recovery periods in cool areas.
• Encouraging workers to adapt their work pace.
• Implementing flexible work schedules, such as job rotation or relocating workers to cooler parts of the building when possible.
• Ensuring sufficient breaks to allow workers to hydrate or cool off.
• Adjusting workloads and targets to ease tasks and reduce physical exertion.
• Relaxing formal dress codes where feasible; modifying uniforms so that workers can wear lighter and more breathable clothing.
• Scheduling work to avoid the hottest parts of the day or year, when temperatures and UV exposure are at their peak.
• Planning physically demanding tasks during the cooler parts of the day (early morning or late evening).
• Reducing physically demanding tasks whenever possible.
• Reorganizing work to minimize tasks like climbing stairs or ladders (e.g. working on ground level).
• Increasing the number of workers assigned to individual tasks.
• Training workers to manage heat stress, especially those who may be more vulnerable.
• Ensuring workers are not working alone, or if they must, providing supervision and a quick way to summon help.
• Becoming familiar with health symptoms associated with excessive heat exposure.
• Following the “-7°C rule” when using air conditioning: indoor temperatures should not be more than 7°C cooler than the outside temperature.
• Short, frequent breaks in cooled areas are most effective; however, the cooling area should not be too cold to avoid sudden temperature shocks.
• Providing sufficient amounts of cool (10–15°C) drinking water near the worksite and encouraging all workers who have been exposed to heat for up to two hours while performing moderate tasks to drink a glass of water every 15–20 minutes.
• For prolonged sweating (over two hours), workers should be given electrolyte-enriched drinks with appropriate composition; the electrolyte/carbohydrate content should not exceed 8% by volume. Individual (not shared) drinking cups must be provided.
• Developing a heat adaptation plan and encouraging improved physical fitness.
• Providing information such as warning signs in the workplace that emphasize the importance of training.
• Avoiding alcohol consumption.
• Limiting salty foods and spices.

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