Heat Stress Management

STAY COOL, STAY SAFE,

BEAT THE HEAT TOGETHER!!!
Quality, Safety, Health & Environment Group
SEC Project Department Central

Dated: 13th May, 2024

Venue: 2nd Flr. Tower-C New SEC Head Quarters
Al Arid District, Riyadh
13/05/2024 Mode: Online
Agenda
• Objective
• Overview of Heat stress: WHY, WHAT AND HOW
• Risk factors of the heat stress
• Heat Stress Management Programme
• Key Points
• PDC COA prevention Management Plan
• Implementation
• Open Discussion

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Objective
• Understand Heat Stress
Sustained
• Identify signs and symptoms
Productivity
• SEC Expectations from Contractors
• NO INJURY, NO MTC, NO LTI AND
NO FATALITY
Effective Heat
Stress
Management

Protection
Accident
against heat
Prevention
injury
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Overview of Heat Stress : What

If no appropriate measures are taken

Heat Generated Heat Removed

Heat Stress
Heat Stress occurs when the accumulation of heat in the body
exceeds the body’s ability to remove the excess heat

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Overview of Heat Stress : What
Risk factors of Heat Stress
Job Risk Factors
• Workload severity
• Duration of Exposure in the
sun
• Worker clothing
Personnel Risk Factors
• Heat Acclimatization by the workers
Environmental Risk Factors body
• Medical conditions
• Direct Heat Source ➢ Recent Illness history
• Ambient Temperature ➢ Pre Existing Medical conditions
• Ambient Humidity ➢ Chronic Medications
• Air Movement ➢ History of Heat Injury
➢ Obesity
• Other factors
➢ Fitness levels of the worker
➢ Sleep Deprivation
➢ Alcohol Consumption
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Overview of Heat Stress : What
Clinical Signs and Symptoms
EARLY LIFE THREATENING
HEAT CRAMPS HEAT EXHAUSTION
• Muscle cramps • Feeling weak,
and spasms dizziness or fainting
• Headaches
• Blurring of vision
• Abdominal pain,
Nausea, Vomiting and
Diarrhea
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HEAT STROKE
• Incoherent or unable
to talk clearly,
• Unconscious,
• Loss of control of the
bladder and bowel
functions,
• Damage to vital organs
such as brain, kidney
or liver
Overview of Heat Stress : How
Heat Stress Management Programme

• Acclimatize to the weather • Early recognition of signs and

• Assess fitness to work of symptoms
the employee • Emergency measures and
procedures
• Set up a buddy system for
work in remote places or
secluded spaces
Raise
Know your
awareness
workers
and be alert

Regularly
Reduce heat
monitor
• Weather monitoring, accumulation • Take regular breaks in
which includes:
temperature shaded areas
➢ Temperature, • Ensure mechanical aids
➢ Humidity, and adequate ventilation
➢ Wind Speed and, • Reorganize or reschedule
➢ Sunlight the work
• Keep them hyderated

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
KNOW YOUR WORKERS

1. Fitness to Work

• Workers should pass pre-employment medical examinations,

• Workers fitness should be checked as per conditions laid out in Procedure: OHS-PR-02-08,
• Workers returning from prolonged illness should be certified fit to work by a medical doctor,
• Continued monitoring of the workers health is important

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
KNOW YOUR WORKERS

2. Acclimatization
WHO
• Newly assigned workers must be acclimatized to the hot weather or hot working conditions,
• Do not send them directly in the field in desert or high temperature areas,
• Workers returning from a long vacation or prolonged leave may need re-acclimatization
HOW LONG
• Workers would need at least 1-2 weeks to adjust to the local weather conditions and workload
WHY
• This process will allow the workers to adapt to the new working environment and improve his tolerance to heat,
• It has a positive impact on endurance capacity and greater productivity at the workplace,
• It will help reduce hospital bills due to frequent hospital trips by the worker due to non adjustment to the harsh weather.

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
KNOW YOUR WORKERS

2. Acclimatization – HOW?

• Takes form of a gradual increase in

daily exposure to the hot working
environment for up to 10 days,
• Workers should be supervised and
allowed more rest
• Depending on worker physical and
health condition and lifestyle, the
acclimatization progress may change

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
RAISE AWARENESS AND BE ALERT

EARLY RECOGNITION
IS IMPORTANT

EARLY LIFE THREATENING

HEAT CRAMPS HEAT EXHAUSTION HEAT STROKE

• Workers should be educated on the hazards of working in hot environment

• Workers should be aware about the emergency procedures on the job site

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
RAISE AWARENESS AND BE ALERT

Recognize the • Recognize symptoms of heat stress and report early SET UP A BUDDY SYSTEM AT WORK
symptoms

• Get the worker to sit or lie down in a cool shaded area with good
Rest the worker ventilation

• Loosen or remove excessive clothing as appropriate (while

Remove the clothing preserving the modesty of the worker)

Reduce temperature • Reduce body temperature as fast as possible by applying ice packs,
wet towels or cool water. Other measures include using fan near the
or expose to fan worker, and taking him to room with air conditioner

• Rehydrate by providing the worker with fluids if he is conscious. if he

Rehydrate is unconscious, do not put anything in his mouth as it can lead to
choking

• If the worker becomes unconscious, call for help immediately by Workers should look out for one another and
Resuscitate calling the emergency responder and first aider. The worker should
be administered CPR if trained to do so know what to do in case a fellow worker starts
showing signs of heat stress
• Rush the worker to the nearest hospital if the worker is unconscious
Rush to the Hospital and not responding to the sound

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
REDUCE HEAT ACCUMULATION

Recommendations Reasons
Shaded area with good airflow should be provided
Shaded Rest Reduce the time of the
to the workers who spend a significant amount of
Area worker in the heat
time working under the sun
Encourage workers to stay hydrated throughout the Increase heat removal
day to quench their thirst from the body
Water Hydration
Provide water shelters or drinking water points at Reduce body
easy accessible locations temperature
Workers Breathable clothing that is loose fitted and light Reduce heat
Clothing colored accumulation

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
REDUCE HEAT ACCUMULATION

Recommendations Reasons
Reduce heavy exertion
Use of Mechanical Aids, E.g. Lifting Equipment,
Use of and metabolic heat
trolleys, and power tools, maybe used to reduce the
Mechanical Aids generated during the
physical workload posed on the workers
work activity
Work tasks should be scheduled to reduce a worker’s Reduce worker’s
exposure to high heat stress conditions, overall exposure to
hear
Work Scheduling heavy physical work or work under direct
Scheduling sun to the cooler parts of the day Minimize over
extertion and
As per ministrial decree, from June 15 to Sept. 15, no metabolic heat
outdoor works are permitted from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm generated

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 Heat Stress Management Programme
REGULAR MONITORING
the temperature in the workplace
should not exceed 50℃, if it rises,
Temperature work should be suspended and
moved indoors
• Weather monitoring should be done on
scheduled basis, the degree of relative humidity in
work places should not exceed
• Needs to be measured at the worksite
Humidity 80%, and if it dves, work should
location, and should be at multiple locations be stopped or moved to another
place
if the project area is huge,
speed of air in the workplace
• The device used to monitor the weather should not exceed 50 meters in

should be calibrated and certified,

Wind Speed summer, and if it increases, work
should be stopped or moved to
• A good practice would be to monitor at least another place

3 times a day. As per ministrial decree, from

June 15 to Sept. 15, no outdoor
Sunlight works are permitted from 12:30
pm to 3:30 pm due to excessive
sunlight and high heat

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KEY POINTS
Heat Stress is a spectrum of symptoms and signs, progression may wary between
WHAT individuals and early recognition is important

The risk of heat stress has negative implications on workers health and productivity and
WHY the risk is only going to increase in the coming years due to the climate change

Know your workers, raise awareness and be alert, regularly monitor temperature and
HOW reduce heat accumulation to reduce heat stress at the workplace

Scan QR code for Procedural Guidelines for Occupational Safety and Health for
preventing the Effects of Exposure to The Direct Sun and Heat Stress – An MHRSD directive

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 PDC COA Management Plan
Expectations from Contractor

Heat Stress Procedure Provide Rest Area

Develop a Heat Stress Shaded rest area shall be
Procedure for the projects and provided for the workers
site specific changes for the and shall be within 100 m
individual projects from the work location

Emergency Plan
Working hours scheduling
Make site specific emergency
Develop a plan for the working
plan to be implemented in the
hours during summer months,
event of heat related emergency,
fill the plan form and share
how to deal with it, and train
with SEC
workers on it

Training and Education to the Provide Proper PPE

employees Provide PPE that is
Provide training to all suitable for hot
employees on the risk of heat environment, such as
stress, how to prevent it, and lightweight and cooling
how to recognize the vests.
symptoms.
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 PDC COA Management Plan
Expectations from Contractor – Heat Index Identification (FLAG System)

Heat Index – 27 – 31 ℃ Heat Index – 32 – 38 ℃ Heat Index – 39 – 50 ℃ Heat Index – Over 50 ℃

Work 40 minutes, Rest for 10
minutes
1 glass of water every 20 minutes,
No working alone, buddy system to
be used
Work 30 minutes, Rest for 10
minutes
1 glass of water every 15 minutes,
Work under shade with buddy
system implementation
Work 20 minutes, Rest for 10 All Work stopped
minutes
1 glass of water every 10 minutes,
No work at elevated areas or for
long hours

• Each flag color will depict the current site temperature for area supervisors to prevent site workers from
heat stress,
• Flag should be displayed at the entrance to the project and ensure it is visible across the site

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PDC COA Management Plan Form

• To be filled by each contractor site and cross signed by site SEC HSE Engineer
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TOGETHER WE CAN,
BEAT THE HEAT

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ANY QUESTIONS???

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THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING

“For Safety is not a Gadget but a State of Mind.”

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