Hazards of working in heat
Working in heat can be unpleasant, lead to illness and under extreme circumstances be fatal. Working in heat may be hazardous when people are carrying out activities where heat is generated (e.g. welding), or when doing work involving significant physical activity outside or with no air conditioning during hot weather.
Symptoms
Early symptoms of illness from working in heat are: feeling sick, weak, clumsy and/or dizzy. Cramps can also be caused by heat. People with these symptoms who keep working may collapse (heat exhaustion), and in extreme cases this could be fatal (heat stroke).
Employer’s Responsibilities
Under section 16 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (the Act) employers are required to provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. This includes situations where employees and contractors may be at risk of illness from working in heat.If there is concern about employees’ exposure to heat while at work, a risk assessment should be carried out. Most illness from working in heat can be prevented by developing and implementing prevention and control strategies appropriate to the workplace. Employers should develop these strategies in consultation with their employees.
Guidance
The Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (the Commission) has requested Comcare to bring to the attention of interested parties existing resource documents which organisations may draw upon in developing strategies appropriate to their circumstances.
The Commission does not endorse any particular guidance material on working in heat.
Whilst the Commonwealth jurisdiction does not have a specific policy on hazards of working in heat, Comcare has an approved code of practice dealing with ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. The approved code of practice comprises the Guidance Note for the Protection of Workers from Ultraviolet Radiation in Sunlight [NOHSC:3012(1991)].
Reference Material
Comcare has identified the following references, which may be used by employers to assist them in setting their own policies for the prevention of incidents of illness from working in heat:
- Safe Work Australia
- Victorian WorkCover Authority Health and Safety Topics
- New South Wales Workcover Authority Work in Hot Environments
- South Australian Department for Administrative and Information Services Heat Stress
- Comcare Identifying hazards in the workplace
Further information
For further information about this fact sheet, or others in the series, please contact Comcare on the general enquiry line 1300 366 979 or by email ohs.help@comcare.gov.au.
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