Hello Team,

Well, we are in the middle of July and as you may or may not know, July and August are traditionally the hottest months of summer. The word out there, is that the summer months of 2011 will be extraordinarily hot, making heat stress a particular topic of concern this year. Heat stress is not always viewed as a major hazard which can and often does lead to serious injuries on the job and at home too. As with most hazards, it is the responsibility of not only the individual but of those around him/her to be aware of and help prevent heat stress. Awareness is the key. My plea to you all is to take heat stress seriously, know and apply the methods of prevention and watch out for each other. Please take the time to review the attached “fact sheet” (click here) for Heat Stress which provides good tips for prevention and the symptoms of heat related illness. Use this fact sheet while at home and work and please take heat illness as a serious threat this summer.

PM’s and Geo’s, make sure that our subs are following the correct preventative measures for heat illness in the field, most importantly, frequent hydration breaks! Do not “ask” if they want to take a break, 9 out of 10 times they will not! Respectfully ”Tell” them to take a break and hydrate. Make sure this is discussed during the toolbox meeting, so that no one is surprised by your requests, make sure that everyone is clear that it is a requirement for work during excessive temps (85 F or above).

Thank you for staying safe out there!

Alan