Heat Stress Affects Worker Productivity And Safety

Heat stress is a common problem for workers across America during the summer months. Excessive heat in the workplace decreases productivity significantly and can be extremely dangerous as well. For years, the solution for many employees has been to add extra deodorant or bring a second shirt with to work, but these aren't solutions at all: they merely mask a potentially hazardous situation.

What is heat stress?

Heat stress is not as severe as actual heat stroke or heat exhaustion, but its effects are significant. Heat stress is defined as the buildup of heat generated by the body's muscles due to constant and prolonged exposure to warm or hot working environments. The heat may come from the sun or it may come from other sources such as hot furnaces or unventilated work areas.

What are its effects?

When body temperature rises above a safe level (usually 2 degrees F above normal), a worker will feel discomfort and he will also start experiencing some distinctive symptoms. With a hot body being less able to pump blood to muscles, the brain, and other organs, a worker will begin to feel tired and will have difficulty concentrating and staying on task. If a shift begins at 8 am, the employee may feel completely spent by noon.

The poor judgment that comes with heat stress may easily lead to more tangential related problems, causing such things as falls and equipment accidents that could have easily been prevented under less adverse circumstances. Employees who are hot and lethargic will not be nearly as productive during the day as they would be if they were operating under cooler conditions.

Some bosses falsely attribute this decreased production to worker laziness or lack of initiative. Nothing could be further from the truth: an employee attempting to do his job in conditions conducive to heat stress is simply not physically able to perform at optimum efficiency: it has nothing to do with his will.

If left unchecked, of course, heat stress will lead to heat stroke. As was mentioned, heat stress can occur with as little as a 2 degree change in body temperature, but add just 3 additional degrees and heat stroke is sure to follow. Its symptoms include extreme confusion, irrational behavior, convulsions, coma, and possibly death. Even young healthy workers who get heat stroke will not survive 20% of the time: it is very serious. Heat stress may also be directly linked to heart attacks on the job.

What can be done?

Today's technologies are better than ever when it comes to keeping employees' body temperatures within a safe range. Portable coolers are one solution when conditions demand space cooling; workers should receive mandatory water and shade breaks; employers should use every possible means to improve building ventilation and apply the best method of artificial cooling for the work context. Not only will productivity increase, but workers will be happier and healthier too.