Heat Related
Work Policies
It
shall be the policy of the University of Texas at Tyler to prevent
heat-related disorders. Examples of heat-related disorders include:
heatstroke, heat syncope, heat exhaustion and heat cramps.
The goal of a heat stress prevention program is to keep the
deep body temperature below 100.4 degrees °F. Methods to
prevent heat stress include:
| a. |
Providing
periodic rest breaks for the employee; |
| b. |
Schedule
physically demanding activities for cooler parts of the
day or year; |
| c. |
Provide
frequent fluid intake; |
| d. |
Increase
air velocity. This is only effective of the air temperature
is below 95 degrees F. |
| e. |
Monitor
humidity levels in work area and refer to Heat
Stress Index Chart
(69 kb .PDF)
HTML conversion link |
| f. |
Use
of mechanical aids to perform work instead of relying on
physical effort; |
| g. |
Rotation
of workers; |
| h. |
Allow
for workers to acclimatize to the weather conditions; |
| i. |
Screening
of workers to identify heat-tolerant individuals; |
| j. |
Shielding
and insulation; |
| k. |
Training
of supervisors and employees to identify heat stress symptoms
and orientate them relative to prevention measures; and
|
| l. |
Proper
application of personal protective equipment. |
Role |
Responsible
for |
| President
and Vice-President(s)
|
|
| Departments |
Ensuring
employees who are working in hot environments take necessary
precautions as outlined in the Heat
Conditions Table |
| Supervisors |
Annual
training of employees who work in high heat areas. EH&S
can assist in determining who needs to be included in
this program. The supervisor is also responsible for monitoring
signs and symptoms of heat stress in workers and ensuring
the guidelines in this policy are followed when employees
are working in high heat stress areas. |
| Employees |
Attending
training and following the instructions given. They are
also responsible for monitoring themselves for signs and
symptoms of heat stress as outlined in the Heat
Conditions Table. |
