NABTU KEEPS COOL: BEAT THE HEAT ON THE JOB
Heat is a serious hazard for construction workers across the trades.
Construction workers perform heavy work and often work in hot environments, including both outdoors in hot weather and indoors with limited ventilation or near sources of radiant heat.
Construction workers across the industry face a higher risk of dying at work from heat than other workers do. In addition to causing heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, working in hot temperatures can lead to discomfort, distraction, or lightheadedness, exposing workers to additional hazards such as slips, trips, and falls from heights. Heat injury and illness prevention planning is essential, and employers must plan ahead to help protect workers from heat.
NABTU has a plan to take on the heat!
We are sharing information to help every worker be aware of the dangers of heat and the employer policies that should be in place to prevent heat-related illnesses.
NABTU-CPWR Summer Heat Webinar
Tuesday, July 29th at 1:00 PM Eastern (1 hour)
Construction workers, who often work outdoors in direct sunlight or in hot, enclosed spaces, are at risk for heat-related illnesses and, in severe cases, death. Rising global temperatures in recent decades increase that risk. However, these illnesses and deaths are preventable. North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) is working with their affiliates, contractors, and other industry stakeholders across the country to prevent heat-related illness and injury through better pre-job and pre-task planning and training. As part of this effort, NABTU and CPWR invited two construction labor representatives and two contractor representatives to share their perspectives on how to beat the heat while still getting the job done.
Moderator: Chris Trahan Cain, CIH, Executive Director, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training
Panelists:
- Shannon Jones, Tri Fund Coordinator, Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA)
- Ken Seal, Safety and Health Director, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
- Shane Eckerman, Executive Director of Safety, CSI Electrical Contractors, Inc.
- Aaron Knight, OHST, EMT-B, President, NMC Companies
Registration: Click here to register and submit questions in advance.
NABTU Resources
Beat the Heat on the Job Checklist: Use this checklist to ensure you are aware of what your employer’s policies are for preventing heat illness and ways you can take action.
Heat Stroke is Deadly – Know the Signs / El Golpe de Calor es Mortal – Conoce las Señales: Share this poster to inform workers on the signs of heat illness and what to do.
Stay Safe. Stay Hydrated. Know the Signs / Mantente seguro. Mantente hidratado. Conoce las señales: Share this poster to inform workers about the dangers of heat stress.
CPWR Heat Hazard Resources: Our safety and health non-profit, CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, has additional checklists, planning tools, infographics and webinars on heat illness prevention.
The Facts
Heat is a serious hazard for construction workers across trades. Construction workers do heavy work and are often in hot environments, including both outdoors in hot weather and indoors with limited ventilation or near sources of radiant heat. Wearing necessary PPE to protect against hazards other than heat can also increase body temperature.
Construction workers across the industry face a higher risk of dying at work from heat than other workers do. Although construction workers make up only 6% of US workers, they account for 36% of all workplace heat-related deaths.
Workers in the construction industry are more likely to need heat-related workers’ compensation than workers in other industries. In an analysis of heat-related workers’ compensation claims across 31 states, construction workers accounted for 21% of claims, the highest percentage of any industry.
It doesn’t take extreme temperatures to be in danger. When researchers looked at work-related heat fatalities in the US between 2014 and 2016, they found that only 28% of those deaths occurred on days when the National Weather Service warning would have included the possibility of fatal heat stroke.
Being consistently exposed to heat at work can increase your risk of serious health issues. Studies have found that construction workers frequently experience chronic dehydration resulting from workplace heat stress. Research suggests that even mild chronic underhydration can contribute to developing serious chronic health issues such as faster aging, premature mortality, coronary heart disease, heart failure, obesity, diabetes, and deterioration of kidney function.
The risk of heat illness is cumulative. Even if the individual exposures seemed manageable at the time, the cumulative effects of high heat over multiple days can increase the risk of heat illness.
Rest and hydration are critical for safe and productive work. Physical activity generates heat in the body, causing fluids and electrolytes to be lost through sweat. This impairs physical performance and the body’s ability to maintain normal temperature. Like professional athletes, construction workers can burn thousands of calories per day!
Join us in raising awareness through the NABTU Heat Campaign by sharing resources, sharing stories with your union, and posting photos and videos of your crews preventing heat stress on social media with #NABTUKeepsCool #BeatTheHeat.
