Heat Stress
Heat doesn't announce itself. The guy who's 'fine' at 10 a.m. is dizzy at 1 and in real trouble by 2 — and by then his judgment went first, which is why he didn't stop. A free talk from Blue Crane Works in Hamilton, Ontario, with a printable sign-in sheet.
How to run it
Read it through once, then talk it — don't recite it. Five minutes at the start of the shift, crew standing where the work happens. Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act requires every employer to provide information, instruction and supervision to protect workers (s. 25(2)(a)). A talk like this, led by a supervisor or someone they trust, is one way to do it, and the sign-in sheet is what proves it happened.
Talk through these points
- Know the ladder of symptoms: cramps, then exhaustion — heavy sweating, weakness, nausea — then heat stroke, where sweating can STOP. Heat stroke is a 911 call, not a break in the shade.
- Water before thirst. Small amounts, steadily, all day. Thirst means you're already behind.
- Schedule the heavy work out of the peak heat where the job allows. The pour can start an hour earlier.
- Shade and rest cycles are production tools, not favours. A crew that cooks in the sun slows down more than the breaks cost.
- New and returning workers acclimatize over days — the first week back in the heat is the dangerous one.
- Watch each other. The person suffering heat stress is the worst judge of their own condition.
Ask the crew
- Where's the water station today, and who refills it?
- What's the humidex supposed to hit this afternoon?
- Who's new enough this week that they're not acclimatized yet?
The answers are the real talk. If a question lands on a live hazard, write it down and assign it a name and a date.
Paper it
A talk without a record didn't happen, as far as anyone who asks is concerned. Print these free:
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