Extreme Temperatures

Introduction
Because your employees’ work duties often require them to leave controlled-temperature environments, they are vulnerable to stress and illness due to extreme temperatures. Prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures (heat and cold) under certain conditions can lead to serious health conditions, and can even be fatal.

Most environments in a hog facility are climate controlled and people can become susceptible to stress and illness moving between buildings in extreme temperatures. This can lead to serious health conditions and could be fatal. Learn to recognize and prevent the harmful effects of extreme hot and cold weather conditions.

OSHA Rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) requires employers to comply with hazard-specific safety and health standards. In addition, pursuant to Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, employers must provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA has previously used the General Duty Clause to cite employers that have allowed employees to be exposed to potential serious physical harm from excessively hot work environments. I did not find any agriculture related citations for heat stress. -- ms

Hazards
Extreme heat. Operations involving high air temperatures, radiant heat sources, high humidity, direct physical contact with hot objects, or strenuous physical activities have a high potential for inducing heat stress in employees.

Outdoor operations conducted in hot weather especially those that require workers to wear semipermeable or impermeable protective clothing, are also likely to cause heat stress among exposed workers. There are three common illnesses caused by working in extreme heat: Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke .

Severe heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke which can quickly kill a person. Heat stroke occurs when the body has used up all its water and salt. The symptoms of heat stroke are easier to notice than other heat related illnesses and include dry hot skin (sometimes red in color), slowed down or no sweating, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, and in some cases, convulsions.

Extreme cold. Cold related-injuries can result from working in cold environments such as outdoors in the winter, working with cryogenic materials[??], anhydrous ammonia [would that be in a pig barn?], xxxx, Examples are frostbite and hypothermia . Furthermore, very cold conditions aggravate pre-existing health problems, such as Raynaud's disease, asthma, and diabetes. Snow and ice on walkways also increase the risk of falls .

Prevention & Control
Checklist for Employers – Keeping Employees Safe in Extreme Cold

• Encourage employees to dress in layers, and wear waterproof, insulated boots.
• Plan for sufficient employee breaks in a warm location.
  Train your employees on the symptoms and treatments of cold-related illnesses.

Checklist for Employers – Keeping Employees in Extreme Heat

• Provide fresh drinking water at all times to prevent dehydration. Permit workers to drink at liberty.
• Allow a slower work pace; overexertion can challenge the body’s cooling system.
• Do not allow employees to wear shorts on the job.
• Plan for sufficient employee breaks in a cool, shady location.
• Train your employees on the symptoms and treatments of heat-related illnesses.

Develop a heat stress program which incorporates the following:

a. A training program informing employees about the effects of heat stress, and how to recognize heat-related illness symptoms and prevent heat-induced illnesses;
b. A screening program to identify health conditions aggravated by elevated environmental temperatures;
c. An acclimation program for new employees or employees returning to work from absences of three or more days;
d. Specific procedures to be followed for heat-related emergency situations;
e. Provisions that first aid be administered immediately to employees displaying symptoms of heat-related illness.
f. [I added this whole section from the OSHA heat stress materials —ms]

FAQs

Links

OSHA Technical Manual, Chapter 4 Heat Stress. In-depth information on heat disorders and health effects, investigation guidelines, sampling methods, control, and ppe.

OSHA Quick Card on Heat Stress. Post in employee areas (English), or in Spanish.

Working in Hot Environments (NIOSH). In Spanish and English.

Cold Checklist and Heat Checklist (Taken from the "Tailgate Meetings that Work: A Guide to Effective Construction Safety Training" series).