Aug. 25, 2014: CDC Report Cites Need for Acclimatization to Prevent Heat-Related Worker Deaths
New Workers Need to Get Used to Working in Hot Conditions
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a report on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) review of 20 heat-related enforcement cases from 2012 to 2013. OSHA’s analysis, described in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, suggests that the primary risk factor for heat fatalities is the lack of acclimatization programs, i.e., getting new workers used to working in hot conditions.
Of the 13 enforcement cases that involved worker fatalities, nine of the deaths occurred in the first three days of working on the job, four of them occurring on the worker’s first day. In all 20 cases, heat illness prevention programs were found to be incomplete or absent, and no provision was made for acclimatizing new workers to the heat. OSHA said acclimatization is a critical part of preventing heat illnesses and fatalities, and workers should gradually build up workloads and exposure to heat by taking frequent breaks for water and rest in shade or air conditioning.