Sweating, tiredness and increased thirst are all signs that the body is beginning to react to a hot environment, but when do these symptoms become more than just an adaption technique and start to become dangerous if left unchanged?
Workers who are exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments, both indoor and outdoor may be at risk of heat stress. Medical conditions that are created due to being exposed to extreme levels of heat include:
Asking workers how they are feeling is one way to understand if they are starting to be affected by working in an excessive heat environment, but some signs are harder for humans to detect and may also take a little while to become physically noticeable.
Physiological monitors provide a more accurate overview of a person’s health because they are either worn on the body or use bodily functions for their measurement.
As technology has advanced worldwide, so has measuring heat stress within workers. The Kenzen Patch from Kenzen uses a sophisticated sensor to collect millions of precise data points to understand a worker’s well-being. Data is not only collected in real-time but can also be used to create actionable changes to prevent heat stress related illnesses occurring in the future.
Monitoring physiological signs and collecting data for future insight helps to reduce any uncertainty or miss-interpretation of how someone is feeling.
Becoming more reliant on trackable data allows deeper insight to be achieved into when, where and why workers are becoming exposed to harmful levels of heat and therefore actionable prevention measures can be planned and implemented.
Information referenced: www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au