Heat Stress - an occupational hazard !!

Heat stress occurs when the body’s means of controlling it's internal temperature starts to fail. As well as air temperature, factors such as work rate, humidity and clothing worn while working may lead to heat stress. Therefore, it may not be obvious to a person passing through the workplace that there is a risk of heat stress. 

You and your employees must be aware of how to work safely in heat, the factors that can lead to heat stress, and how to reduce the risk of it occurring.

How does the body react to heat?

The body reacts to heat by increasing the blood flow to the skin’s surface, and by sweating. This results in cooling as sweat evaporates from the body’s surface and heat is carried to the surface of the body from within by the increased blood flow. Heat can also be lost by radiation and convection from the body’s surface. 

Typical example of a heat stress situation

Someone wearing protective clothing and performing heavy work in hot and humid conditions could be at risk of heat stress because:

• Sweat evaporation is restricted by the type of clothing and the humidity of the environment.
• Heat will be produced within the body due to the work rate and, if insufficient heat is lost, deep body temperature will rise.
• As deep body temperature rises the body reacts by increasing the amount of sweat produced,which may lead to dehydration.
• Heart rate also increases which puts additional strain on the body.
• If the body is gaining more heat than it can lose the deep body temperature will continue to rise.
• Eventually it reaches a point when the body’s control mechanism itself starts to fail.

The symptoms will worsen the longer they remain working in the same conditions.

To read more about Heat Stress, it's symptoms, and some measures to reduce the risk, please visit www.techsolute.com

Buy Evaporative Cooling Towel in India

TECHSOLUTE is India's first industrial consumables e-commerce portal offering a vast range of products.