Heat Stress

Heat Stress & Heat Illness Prevention Workplace Poster

Help employees recognize and prevent heat-related illness with the Heat Stress & Heat Illness Prevention Workplace Poster. This visual safety resource reinforces important precautions for employees working in hot indoor or outdoor environments and helps workers recognize the warning signs of heat-related illness.

Heat exposure can affect employees working outdoors as well as workers in hot indoor environments such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, kitchens, laundries, boiler rooms, foundries, and other locations where heat may create hazardous working conditions.

How Can Employers Help Prevent Heat Illness?

OSHA emphasizes several important measures for protecting workers from heat-related illness. Employers should evaluate workplace heat hazards and take appropriate steps to protect exposed employees.

Important heat illness prevention practices include:

• Provide workers with access to cool drinking water
• Encourage employees to drink fluids regularly and not wait until they feel thirsty
• Provide appropriate rest breaks as heat stress increases
• Provide a cool or shaded location for employees to recover from heat
• Gradually acclimatize new and returning employees to hot working conditions
• Modify workloads or work schedules when necessary
• Train employees and supervisors to recognize heat illness symptoms
• Establish procedures for responding to heat-related emergencies
• Monitor workers for signs and symptoms of heat illness

What Are the Signs of Heat-Related Illness?

Employees and supervisors should know how to recognize common heat-related illnesses, including heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include heavy sweating, headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, weakness, thirst, irritability, and a rapid heartbeat.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Warning signs can include confusion, fainting, seizures, very high body temperature, and other serious symptoms. If heat stroke is suspected, emergency medical assistance should be requested immediately and the worker should be moved to a cooler area while cooling measures are started.

Water, Rest and Cooling

Proper hydration and adequate recovery time are important components of heat illness prevention. OSHA recommends providing cool drinking water that is readily accessible to workers and encouraging employees to drink regularly while working in hot conditions.

When heat stress is high, employees should receive appropriate rest breaks in a cooler location. Outdoor recovery areas may include shade, an air-conditioned vehicle, a nearby building, or another appropriately cooled location. Indoor workers should be able to recover away from major heat sources when necessary.

Acclimatization for New and Returning Workers

Workers who are new to hot environments or returning after time away may be especially vulnerable to heat-related illness. Acclimatization allows the body to gradually adjust to working in hot conditions.

Employers should gradually increase heat exposure for new and returning workers, provide additional rest opportunities, and closely monitor these employees for signs of heat illness.

Where Can Heat Stress Occur?

Hazardous heat exposure is not limited to outdoor work. Heat stress can occur in both indoor and outdoor workplaces, including:

• Construction sites
• Agricultural operations
• Landscaping and outdoor maintenance
• Warehouses and distribution centers
• Manufacturing facilities
• Commercial kitchens and bakeries
• Laundries and boiler rooms
• Foundries and other high-heat industrial operations

Workplace Heat Safety Awareness

Displaying heat safety information can help reinforce employee training and remind workers to stay hydrated, take appropriate rest breaks, recognize symptoms of heat illness, and promptly report heat-related concerns.

This poster is intended as a supplemental workplace safety and employee-awareness resource. It does not replace required employee training, workplace-specific heat illness prevention procedures, emergency response plans, or other applicable federal or state workplace safety requirements.

Heat Stress Poster Specifications

• 11"W x 17"H
• Portrait orientation
• Printed in full color
• Completely laminated with high-quality laminate