Construction workers face an increased risk of heat illness and even death due to physical exertion, direct sun exposure, and limited access to shade and cooling measures on jobsites. OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires employers to protect workers from heat hazards. Construction employers can help maintain compliance by implementing the following seven best practices.
1. Develop a written heat illness prevention plan.
Employers should create a plan that addresses daily oversight, employee heat tolerance, work practices and controls to reduce heat stress, heat-stress measurement, and training for workers and supervisors. Each heat illness prevention plan should be site-specific, based on crew size, nature of work, site layout, location and available resources. This ensures that preventive measures aren’t a generic checklist but instead reflect the actual conditions workers encounter.
2. Monitor the heat index. Effective heat management requires employers to monitor the heat index throughout the day rather than relying solely on temperature. Employers should use a reliable heat monitoring method, such as a wet-bulb globe temperature meter, and adjust work-rest schedules, hydration requirements and other heat controls as conditions change. Occupational heat exposure is determined by physical activity, air temperature, humidity, sunlight, heat sources, air movement and workers’ clothing.
3. Establish work-rest cycles. Effective work-rest cycles are determined by the heat index and the intensity of work (e.g., running a plate compactor in direct sun versus doing finish work in the shade). Employers should encourage frequent rest and cooling breaks during high heat conditions. Job rotation is another option, where high-intensity work is scheduled for cooler times, such as the morning, or moved to a cooler area.
4. Have water available on-site. Adequate hydration is vital to preventing heat illness. Employers should ensure that there is plenty of water available at the active worksite, not a distance away at a trailer or office, to encourage employees to hydrate frequently.
5. Provide cooling personal protective equipment (PPE). Standard PPE can actually trap heat and accelerate heat stress. Employers should provide construction workers with PPE well-suited to hot conditions. This can include cooling towels and bandanas, moisture-wicking base layers, ice- or gel-cooling vests, and hard-hat sun shields.
6. Make shaded break areas accessible. Shaded or climate-controlled recovery areas should be easily accessible from active work zones. Such areas may include tents, canopies or air-conditioned trailers located close enough for workers to use during scheduled and unscheduled cooling breaks. Workers lose much of the recovery benefit when they must travel long distances to reach a cooling area.
7. Implement an acclimatization period for new and returning workers. Employers should implement a structured acclimatization program for new hires, workers returning from extended absences and employees exposed to significantly hotter conditions than they are accustomed to. Workloads and heat exposure should be gradually increased over several days, while supervisors monitor workers for signs of heat-related illness. Heat acclimatization is critical because it increases workers’ tolerance and reduces heat-related risks. Considering that peak heat illness season is here, employers should verify that these seven practices are implemented on their jobsites to help maintain compliance with OSHA standards and protect workers.
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