IB10 Flashcards
(a)
(i)Identify SIX factors that can affect the thermal comfort of an individual.
(ii) Outline the role of heat indices when assessing a thermal environment.
(iii) Give an example of a heat index AND identify the parameters that contribute to this index.
(i) ❋Air temperature. ❋Humidity of the working environment. ❋The rate of airflow. ❋The clothing that is being worn, e.g. is heavy PPE or a uniform required? ❋The work rate required. ❋The fitness level of the worker.
(ii)
Heat indices are a way of measuring the thermal environment. They take a number of parameters into account and provide a result that can be compared to tables or standards in order to determine the acceptability of the thermal environment.
(iii)
One index is the WBGT - this takes into account the wet bulb temperature, the dry bulb temperature and the globe temperature
(b)
Catering staff prepare chilled meals for re-heating. A significant part of their working day is spent in an area where the ambient temperature is between 3°C and 5°C.
Describe the control measures that could be used to minimize the risks associated with working in this cold environment.(8)
❋Medical surveillance should be carried out, both on new employees prior to recruitment in the form of pre-employment medicals (in order to identify any underlying health conditions which could place them at risk in such an environment) and on existing employees to ensure that their health is not compromised by working in the cold rooms.
❋The individual could be protected through the provision of insulated clothing, which should be suitable for the catering environment but may include items such as warm clothing, jackets/coats, gloves and hats. Insulated footwear should also be provided as the person may lose heat through their feet to the cold floor.
❋Organisational controls may include providing a period of acclimatisation for new employees so that they get used to working in the cold environment. This may be built up over a period of weeks on induction to the workplace. Other controls may include the use of job rotation in order to minimise the duration of exposure, with breaks provided to allow workers to leave the cold environment. It may also be possible to minimise static standing and sitting in order to keep the worker’s metabolic rate elevated and hence keep them warm.
❋Workplace controls include the provision of a warm rest room in which the workers can take breaks and have hot drinks. There should also be a room for drying clothing if necessary, so that workers are not re-entering the cold environment with wet or damp clothing. The workplace may also have insulated matting on the floor in order to prevent heat being lost to the cold floor. Finally, there should be controls in place to prevent anyone being accidentally locked in the room, such as handles on the inside of the cold rooms and alarms to warn of anyone unable to exit the room.
In deep underground mines there are high temperatures and high levels of humidity.
These conditions arise naturally from the surrounding earth as well as through mining processes.
(a)
Identify specific health effects associated with working in these conditions.
(b)
(i) Explain how the working conditions can affect the health of the workers. (3)
(ii) Explain how the working conditions can affect the safety of the workers. (1)
(c)
Outline practical control measures to help reduce the risks associated with working in an environment with high temperatures and high levels of humidity.
(a)
❋ Increased pulse rate leading to higher blood pressure
❋ Dehydration; as a result of increased sweat rate. Dehydration will lead to loss of water from the blood, making the blood thicker and consequently harder to pump around the circulatory system (hence increased blood
pressure).
❋ core temperature spirals out of control leading to heat stroke; loss
of consciousness as a result of overheating. This is a dangerous condition that can lead to coma and death.
❋ Muscle cramp;
❋ Heat exhaustion
❋ Skin irritation; as a result of high humidity levels and excessive sweating. This can in turn lead to dermatitis
and fungal infection of the skin.
(i)
High-temperature generated from the surrounding earth and mining process machinery plus the heat generated by the body when doing heavy work whilst wearing protective clothing will lead to core temperature to increase fast than the body can lose heat if the body isn’t able to lose heat quickly enough and core temperature rise this leads to heat stress
And the humidity level can significantly reduce the ability of the body to lose heat by evaporation (a major way the body uses to lose heat) body will simply get wet and dehydrate but it doesn’t cool down. leading to heat stress.
The extent of effects will depend on multiple factors
(II)
❋difficulty in remaining alert, loss of concentration leading to mistakes and increass of human erros which can lead to accidents
❋ slipperiness of sweaty plams, dazziness
❋Fogging of safety glassses
❋Physical discomfort promote anger lead to caless rash acts.
❋psychological state have effect on safe performance.
(c)
❋The use of ventilation to provide cool air volumes to reduce the heat load. When ventilation alone cannot provide acceptable climatic conditions
❋ When ventilation cannot provide acceptable climatic conditions, artificial cooling methods need to be used. These methods can be very effective, however, it can be costly.
❋Siting of equipment that generates heat Static equipment should be kept out of the main intakes as much as possible
❋switching off unnecessary heat-producing equipment (or when not needed),
❋ Control of water to minimize humidity (eliminating standing water and by minimizing the amount of water that is introduced underground, machine cooling water, spillage clear up)
❋providing adequate fluids for workers so that they can drink freely and easily to avoid dehydration-(Isotonic fluids)(water stations)
❋light clothing that allows sweat to evaporate
❋Acclimatisation employeess who will exposed to high effective temperature need to be acclimatised to the conditions.
❋reduce the source of the heat generation(battery powered instead diesel engine)
❋Work planning:
- Adequate supervision must be deployed
-Manual effort in a hot environment needs to be minimised at planing stage
-Adequate manpower must deployed,
-Regular breat appropriate intervals (SV follow on this) in cool refuges
❋First aid and rescue arrangements, with specific training being required for the recognition and treatment of heat illness
❋the training and education of the workforce
‘Suitable and sufficient’ lighting in a workplace is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers.
(a) Identify adverse health effects that workers could experience as a result of unsuitable or insufficient lighting.
(b) Explain how the following features of lighting could affect the safety of worker’s
(i) low lighting levels;
(ii) stroboscopic effects;
(iii) colour effects.
(c)
Lighting surveys can assess levels of illuminance in a workplace.
Outline what could affect levels of illuminance that are measured in the workplace. (this part was a little bit challenging to me)
(a)
. Health effects include:
. headache,
. visual fatigue, (low light)
. eye strain,
. Eye tissue damage( exposure to intense light)
. The effect on attitudes leads to depression(mental ill-health).
. blurred vision;
. inadequate posture creating neck and backache
to get adequate VIEW for the tasks to be performed.
(b)
(i) low lighting levels; likely to increase the incidents such as slip, trip, and fall, striking with objects because of insufficient, Increased the human error which may put others at risk
lighting arrangements causing unidentified objects
(ii) stroboscopic effects; can lead to dangerous situations by changing the perception of rotating or moving machine parts, That can make a rotating or vibrating machine part appear stationary,
(iii) color effects: serious implication where color is a critical indicator ( electrical wiring)
(c)
- The area at which the reading is taken, and the number of measurement points.
- At what time a day the measurements are taken If work is performed in a room partially lit by daylight and partly by artificial light, illuminance level will decrease significantly at night if not taken into consideration.
- The level of the incident light
- the positioning of lights
- reflection of surfaces.
Outline what an employer should consider when carrying out an assessment to determine the first-aid provision needed in the workplace. (10)
❋Size of the organisation (e.g. number of employees).
❋ Nature of the work and workplace hazards and risks, e.g. hazardous substances, dangerous machines, tools or animals. (NB: remember that there may be different levels of risk in different parts of one workplace (office vs production line).)
❋ Nature of the workforce, e.g. experience, young workers, pregnancy, disabilities.
❋ The organisation’s accident history
❋ The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers, e.g. they may need a travel first-aid kit
❋ Work patterns, e.g. coverage for shift work or out-of-hours work.
❋ The distribution of the workforce, e.g. a large site with multiple buildings which are far apart.
❋ The remoteness of the site from emergency medical services.
Employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites
❋Annual leave and other absences of first-aiders and appointed persons - adequate coverage.
❋First-aid provision for non-employees (not a legal requirement, but recommended).
Outline the health and safety issues which should be identified during a lighting audit of a factory which includes production, maintenance workshops and offices.
The general level of illuminance should be appropriate for the type of work being carried out. As well as level of illuminance, colour discrimination, avoidance of glare and avoidance of stroboscopic effects (where there is rotating machinery - such as in the workshop and production area) also need to be considered. It may also be necessary to consider the provision of task-lighting in areas where higher levels of illumination are required, such as the workshops and production areas. Other considerations include; display equipment work-station lighting requirements in the office areas, lighting for external areas and emergency lighting. A primary consideration is the availability and use of natural light. Finally, operational issues to consider include energy saving control and maintenance, cleaning and testing of luminaires
A vegetable packing plant employing 200 men and 60 women is about to open. The plant will operate 24 hours a day on a three-shift system.
Outline the specific welfare arrangements that will be necessary prior to the factory opening.
❋ Rest and eating facilities with arrangements for preparing and heating food and boiling water, provision of seats and tables, prevention of contamination of food in the eating area, protection from tobacco smoke and facilities for nursing and expectant mothers.
❋Accommodation for clothing and changing facilities, separate for men and women, with means of drying wet clothing and isolating contaminated clothing.
❋Provision of drinking water with cups, which is adequately marked.
❋Provision of decontamination facilities, with showers and designated clean and dirty areas.
❋Provision of enough sanitary conveniences, separate for men and women, which are clean, adequately lit and ventilated.
❋Provision of hand-washing facilities close to the sanitary conveniences and changing rooms which are clean, adequately lit and ventilated and provided with a supply of hot and cold water, soap and means of drying.
❋Adequate first-aid provision based on the proximity of emergency services, the level of risk in the workplace and the number of employees
A process within a textile mill produces high levels of heat and steam. Draft a report to the mill management that describes:
(a) The possible adverse effects on health from working in such an environment.
(b) The parameters that should be measured, and the corresponding instrumentation used, when making an assessment of the thermal environment.
(c) Ways of reducing the risk of thermal stress amongst employees, with reference to both the thermal environment and other contributory factors.
(a)
❋Increased pulse rate leading to higher blood pressure.
❋Dehydration; as a result of increased sweat rate. Dehydration will lead to loss of water from the blood, making the blood thicker and consequently harder to pump around the circulatory system (hence increased blood pressure).
❋Muscle cramp; as a result of loss of sodium from the body in sweat (sodium is important for the correct functioning of muscles).
❋Fatigue, dizziness and fainting; as a result of dehydration and heat stress.
❋In extreme examples, core temperature spirals out of control and the casualty will suffer from heat stroke; loss of consciousness as a result of overheating. This is a dangerous condition that can lead to coma and death.
❋Skin irritation; as a result of high humidity levels and excessive sweating. This can in turn lead to dermatitis and fungal infection of the skin
(b)
❋ Ambient temperature - the temperature of the air within the workplace, discounting any contribution from radiation. This would be measured simply using a dry bulb thermometer (usually mercury bulb type).
❋ Air velocity - the rate of movement of air within the workplace. Measured using an anemometer.
❋ Relative humidity - the amount of water vapour in the air measured relative to the total amount of water vapour that could be held in saturated air at the same temperature. This might be measured using a whirling hygrometer - also known as a sling hygrometer or a psychrometer - (a device rather like a football rattle with a wet bulb and a dry bulb thermometer mounted on it).
❋ Radiant heat - a measure of the amount of infrared radiation that is present in the workplace, which makes a contribution to heat gain. Measured using a globe thermometer; a matt black metal sphere with a dry bulb thermometer in it.
(c)
by paying attention to controlling heat generation at source. This would be done by shielding workers from infrared heat sources (radiant heat sources), lagging all hot surfaces (such a steam pipes), preventing the escape of steam from process machinery into the work environment and, where steam escape cannot be prevented, by extraction of that steam.
If it proves impossible or impractical to prevent the escape of heat and steam into the work environment, then that environment should be managed by engineering controls to try to reduce the impact on workers. This could be done using adequate workplace ventilation and de-humidification.
Attention will also have to be paid to providing adequate fluids for workers so that they can drink freely and easily to avoid dehydration. Drinking water may have to be supplemented with isotonic fluids and or salt tablets. Suitable clothing that allows workers to sweat freely, yet provides them with adequate protection from other workplace hazards, must be sourced and supplied. The number of workers exposed to the more extreme thermal environments in the workplace must be kept to a minimum. Job rotation and the provision of adequate breaks is another key control.
Pre-employment screening in combination with health surveillance may be required, especially for workers in the more extreme environments and those with known health problems. Training must be provided to all workers, to include the health issues associated with working in a hot and steamy environment and the various controls and precautions necessary. Workers may need to be given the opportunity to acclimatise gradually to the more extreme parts of the workplace. Adequate supervision must be maintained throughout.
Cold stores operate at sub-zero temperatures.(a)Describe the possible effects on health and safety when working at very low temperatures.
(b) Explain the measures that may be taken to protect people working in such environments.
(a)
The health effects include:
❋Frostbite - where tissues freeze as a result of the extremely low temperatures. This type of injury can lead to loss of extremities such as fingers and toes.
❋Hypothermia - where the core temperature of the individual drops below 35°C, leading to difficulty with physical and mental processes, erratic behavior, and ultimately loss of consciousness.
❋Chilblains - where the skin becomes red, inflamed, and sore.
The safety hazards include:
❋Slipping on icy floors and all of the resultant injuries.
❋Being locked in the freezer and suffering hypothermia, as a result, perhaps coupled with the inability to raise an alarm.
❋The slowness of mental processing (torpor) as a result of hypothermia.
❋Inability to handle objects in thick gloves and the inability to move easily when kitted up in all of the PPE that would be required.
❋The materials used may be affected, especially metals; these could be subject to brittle fracture
(b)
❋ Warm clothing such as a hat, balaclava, quilted jacket with layers underneath, quilted trousers, thick thermal socks, thermally insulated boots, insulated gloves.
❋ Frequent rest periods outside the freezer in a warm atmosphere.
❋ Hot drinks and access to hot food, or food heating facilities.
❋ Limits on the time of working in the cold, perhaps in association with job-rotation.
❋ The provision of, and storage facilities for, clothing.
❋ Equipment and procedures for the removal of ice from the floor.
❋Emergency lighting inside the sub-zero area.
❋ An entrapment alarm that can be activated from within the freezer, but is audible to staff outside the freezer.
❋ Quick-release handles to open doors from both sides.
❋Health surveillance for workers
(a)
Outline the purpose of a heat stress index when assessing the thermal environment.
The most widely used heat stress index in the industry is the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index.
(b)
(i) Identify the measurements that need to be taken to
determine the WBGT index.
(ii) Outline the principle of operation of the instruments that should be used to make EACH of the measurements identified in (b) (i).
(c) A manufacturing process produces high levels of heat and steam.
Outline control measures that could help reduce heat stress among workers in this environment.
(a)
provides a single number representation of the severity of a thermal environment
Estimate the physiological responses of an individual to their environment. The end result is to provide a value that allows a comparison between environments, different working situations, and
different types of clothing to be made.
(b)
(i)
WBGT = 0.7 WB + 0.2 GT + 0.1 DB outdoors
WBGT = 0.7 WB + 0.3 GT indoors
• WB is the wet bulb temperature.
• GT is the globe thermometer temperature.
• DB is the dry bulb temperature.
(ii)
• Thermometers are used to measure three important temperature parameters - dry bulb air temperature, wet bulb air temperature and radiant temperature
The dry bulb air temperature can be measured using mercury/alcohol in glass thermometers, thermocouples or resistance thermometers. The sensing head has to be protected from radiant heat exchange by placing either a polished silver or aluminium shield around it
The wet bulb air temperature is obtained with the sensing head covered with a muslin sock wetted with distilled water and protected from radiant heat. Air has to flow past the wet bulb at a minimum velocity of about 4m/s
Measurements of radiant temperature are usually made with a black globe thermometer. (thermometer is inserted with its bulb at the centre of
the globe)
• Whirling Hygrometer (Sling Psychrometer): The whirling hygrometer ) is used in conjunction with tables which can relate the variation between two thermometer (dry bulb thermo , wet bulb thermo) readings to relative humidity.
The principle of operation depends on the rate of evaporative cooling which occurs on the wet bulb thermometer. It is often referred to as ‘wet bulb depression’
(c)
by paying attention to controlling heat generation at source. This would be done by shielding workers from infrared heat sources (radiant heat sources), lagging all hot surfaces (such a steam pipes), preventing the escape of steam from process machinery into the work environment and, where steam escape cannot be prevented, by extraction of that steam.
If it proves impossible or impractical to prevent the escape of heat and steam into the work environment, then that environment should be managed by engineering controls to try to reduce the impact on workers. This could be done using adequate workplace ventilation and de-humidification.
Attention will also have to be paid to providing adequate fluids for workers so that they can drink freely and easily to avoid dehydration. Drinking water may have to be supplemented with isotonic fluids and or salt tablets. Suitable clothing that allows workers to sweat freely, yet provides them with adequate protection from other workplace hazards, must be sourced and supplied. The number of workers exposed to the more extreme thermal environments in the workplace must be kept to a minimum. Job rotation and the provision of adequate breaks is another key control.
Pre-employment screening in combination with health surveillance may be required, especially for workers in the more extreme environments and those with known health problems. Training must be provided to all workers, to include the health issues associated with working in a hot and steamy environment and the various controls and precautions necessary. Workers may need to be given the opportunity to acclimatise gradually to the more extreme parts of the workplace. Adequate supervision must be maintained throughout.
(a) Identify the possible health effects from working in a cold store at sub-zero temperatures.
(b) Outline control measures to minimize the risks to persons who work in a cold store at sub-zero temperatures.
(a)
Cold stress, a reduction in the heart rate, breathing rate, persistent shivering, together with blue fingers and lips; mental impairment and stress; hypothermia; frostbite involving inflammation of the skin and
tissue damage; and chilblains causing redness, tingling, and pain in the affected area.
(b)
-Pre-employment examination with subsequent continuing health surveillance
- The provision and wearing of thermal clothing such as undergarments, insulated suits or jackets, gloves, and footwear
- Continuous monitoring of the level of activity (which should be sufficient to generate some heat but not high enough to cause workers to sweat
- Placing a restriction on the time spent working in the cold store with the provision of regular breaks in a warm environment.
-Ensuring that there is no possibility of workers
being locked in the store such as the provision of means for opening doors on the inside of the store.
-Ensuring protection is provided against leaks of refrigerant gas such as a programme of regular maintenance together with detection and alarm
system.
- The provision of facilities for drying thermal clothing and for its replacement when necessary
- And giving instruction and training to workers on the hazards involved in working in the cold store and the precautionary measures that they should take.
A large manufacturing organisation operates from several temporary workplaces in various locations.
(a) Outline what should be considered when assessing the basis of the first-aid provision at the temporary workplaces.
(b) Outline the arrangements for the provision of first aid at the temporary workplaces.
(a)
• Size of the organisation (e.g. number of employees).
• Nature of the work and workplace hazards and risks, e.g. hazardous substances, dangerous machines, tools
or animals. (NB: remember that there may be different levels of risk in different parts of one workplace
(office vs production line).)
• Nature of the workforce, e.g. experience, young workers, pregnancy, disabilities.
• The organisation’s accident history.
• The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers, e.g. they may need a travel first-aid kit. there several temporary workplaces in various locations.
• Work patterns, e.g. coverage for shift work or out-of-hours work.
• The distribution of the workforce, e.g. a large site with multiple buildings which are far apart.
• The remoteness of the site from emergency medical services.
• Employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites.
• Annual leave and other absences of first-aiders and appointed persons - adequate coverage.
• First-aid provision for non-employees (not a legal requirement, but recommended).
(b)
-An adequate and appropriate number of suitable persons to render first-aid at every location where workers are liable to injuries.
- The provision of FAW training courses are normally three days’ duration and EFAW two days’ duration.
- all establishments without exception, should provide at least one first-aid box - A note should be placed on the door showing the names and locations of first aiders
- In situations where specialised first-aid equipment is required at the workplace, it may be kept in the first-aid room as appropriate.
- Travelling workers can be supplied with a travelling first-aid kit. This is usually a smaller first-aid kit than the standard.
(a) Identify FOUR environmental parameters that affect thermal comfort.
(b) Identify THREE other parameters that affect thermal comfort.
(c) Workers are at risk of heat stress when working in a
manufacturing process that produces high levels of heat and steam. Some workers are more vulnerable to the effects of heat stress.
(i) Identify TWO reasons why some workers may be more vulnerable to heat stress.
(ii) Outline controls measures that help reduce the risk of heat stress for all workers working in this manufacturing process.
(d) Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a commonly used heat stress index.
Outline the purpose of WBGT. (3)
(a)
❋ Air temperature (Surrounding Temperature)
❋ The humidity of the working environment.
❋ The rate of airflow, air velocity
❋ Radiant temperature
(b) ❋ The clothing that is being worn, e.g. is heavy PPE or a uniform required? ❋ The work rate required. ❋ Metabolic rate ❋ Sweat rate, Duration of exposure
(c)
(i)
❋ medical conditions, increasing age, the overall level of Fitness,
❋ presence of other metabolically stressful
❋ illnesses, the use of certain medications, dehydration,
❋ alcohol intake, and individual ability to acclimatize to extreme temperatures.
(ii)
■ Control the temperature using engineering solutions, eg change the processes, use fans or air conditioning, use physical barriers that reduce
exposure to radiant heat.
■ Provide mechanical aids where possible to reduce the work rate.
■ Regulate the length of exposure to hot environments by:
▬ allowing workers to enter only when the temperature is below a set level or at cooler times of the day;
▬ issuing permits to work that specify how long your workers should work in situations where there is a risk;
▬ providing periodic rest breaks and rest facilities in cooler conditions.
■ Prevent dehydration. Working in a hot environment causes sweating which helps keep people cool but means losing vital water that must be replaced.
Provide cool water in the workplace and encourage workers to drink it frequently in small amounts before, during (where possible), and after working.
■ Provide personal protective equipment. Specialized personal protective clothing is available which can incorporate personal cooling systems or
breathable fabrics. The use of some protective clothing or respiratory protective equipment may increase the risk of heat stress.
■ Provide training for your workers, especially new and young employees, telling them about the risks of heat stress associated with their work, what symptoms to look out for, safe working practices, and emergency procedures.
■ Allow workers to acclimatize to their environment and identify which workers are acclimatized or assessed as fit to work in hot conditions.
■ Identify employees who are more susceptible to heat stress because of an illness, condition or
medication that may contribute to the early onset of heat stress, eg pregnant women or those with heart conditions. You may need advice from an occupational health professional.
(d)
provides a single number representation of the severity of a thermal environment
Estimate the physiological responses of an individual to their environment. The end result is to provide a value that allows a comparison between environments, different working situations, and
different types of clothing to be made.
The provision of sufficient lighting levels is necessary for all workplaces and these levels of illuminance can be measured.
(a) Identify the unit of measurement typically used for illuminance.
(b) Outline what could affect levels of illuminance measured in a workplace.
In addition to sufficient lighting, a workplace should have lighting that is suitable for the work being carried out.
(c) Explain other key features of the lighting design that should be considered when providing suitable lighting for an:
(i) operating theatre in a hospital;
(ii) outdoor loading bay.
(a)
Lux ( which is the amount of light incident per unit area of surface)
(b)
- The amount of natural sources of light
- The weather conditions and the time of day/year when the measurements were taken
- The number, position and design of the lighting,
- Reflection from surfaces or shadow casted by Obstruction Furniture and equipment in an open-plan office
- The area at which the reading is taken, and the number of measurement points.
- At what time a day the measurements are taken If work is performed in a room partially lit by daylight and partly by artificial light, illuminance level will decrease significantly at night if not taken into consideration.
- The level of the incident light
- the spacing between light fitting, and the mounting height affect the illuminance,
- The choice of colour in a room because dark surfaces reflect very little light
(c)
(i)
- The need for emergency lighting in the event of total power failure, this must be for a sufficient time period and that this included both localized and general lighting in the operating theatre.
-The ease of cleaning and sterilization requirements and that the lighting had to be localized above the patient
(ii)
- Lighting above doors to sign emergency exits.
- The lights being positioned correctly to avoid shadows being cast and avoid glare to workers and drivers
- The color being different to hazard warning lights
- Maintenance/cleaning should be built into the design to avoid working at height.
- To provide a safe level of illuminance for movement of lorries, goods and persons.
Workers are exposed to high levels of heat and steam from the manufacturing process.
(a) Identify TWO parameters that could be measured when making an assessment of the thermal environment.
(b) Outline ways of reducing thermal stress among workers during the manufacturing process.
(a)
Relative humidity – the amount of water vapor in the air measured relative to the total amount of
the water vapour that could be held in saturated air at the same temperature.
Ambient temperature – the temperature of the air within the workplace, discounting any
contribution from radiation.
(b)
by paying attention to controlling heat generation at source. This would be done by shielding workers from infrared heat sources (radiant heat sources), lagging all hot surfaces (such a steam pipes), preventing the escape of steam from process machinery into the work environment and, where steam escape cannot be prevented, by extraction of that steam.
If it proves impossible or impractical to prevent the escape of heat and steam into the work environment, then that environment should be managed by engineering controls to try to reduce the impact on workers. This could be done using adequate workplace ventilation and de-humidification.
Attention will also have to be paid to providing adequate fluids for workers so that they can drink freely and easily to avoid dehydration. Drinking water may have to be supplemented with isotonic fluids and or salt tablets. Suitable clothing that allows workers to sweat freely, yet provides them with adequate protection from other workplace hazards, must be sourced and supplied. The number of workers exposed to the more extreme thermal environments in the workplace must be kept to a minimum. Job rotation and the provision of adequate breaks is another key control.
Pre-employment screening in combination with health surveillance may be required, especially for workers in the more extreme environments and those with known health problems. Training must be provided to all workers, to include the health issues associated with working in a hot and steamy environment and the various controls and precautions necessary. Workers may need to be given the opportunity to acclimatise gradually to the more extreme parts of the workplace. Adequate supervision must be maintained throughout.
