Heat stress occurs when your body builds up more heat than it can handle. It's important that you, your supervisors and your workers become familiar with the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to protect themselves. The early signs of heat illness are mild dizziness, fatigue, irritability, decreased concentration and impaired judgment. The worker may also be experiencing heat cramps – painful spasms of the leg, arm or abdominal muscles; heavy sweating and thirst.

The following are tips for protecting yourself from heat stress.

• Take time to adjust to working in the heat, especially if you aren't used to working in hot conditions.
• Drink a lot of water before work, during work, and at the end of the day. Don't just rely on your thirst to tell you how much you need. By the time you are thirsty, you are already somewhat dehydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink one cup of water every 15-20 minutes while you're working.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing that "breathes." Cotton is a good choice.
• Wear a hat that shades your ears, face, temples and the back of your neck from the sun.
• Use sunscreen. Choose sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater.
• Juggle your workload. If possible, do your heaviest tasks during the coolest parts of the day.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea and other drinks containing caffeine. These act as diuretics – they increase fluid loss through urination.
• Get an adequate amount of sleep.
• Using products like cooling vests and bandanas can also help.

Additional information on Sun and Heat Protection

Cooling Workwear

Hats