Very hot temperatures are going to be with us for at least another week.

That has the Province putting out a notice about working in the heat.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to take all reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of their workers.

Employers and workers should be aware of the early signs of heat stress and treat it right away. These include:

headache
dizziness and fatigue
dehydration
heavy sweating
muscle cramps
changes to breathing and pulse rate

These symptoms can progress to heat stroke, a life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention.

Employers can keep workers safe by:
providing plenty of cool drinking water
reducing physical activity, changing the work location to a cooler, shaded area and creating a cooling station where workers can rest
using a work/rest schedule with extra breaks if needed
allowing workers to acclimatize by gradually increasing the time they spend working outdoors
scheduling physically demanding jobs for cooler times of the day

OH&S points out employees have the right to refuse work if they feel it is unsafe.

 

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