Heat Stroke at Work: What to Know

Heat load rises during strenuous tasks, protective clothing, direct sun, humidity, or limited airflow. Warning symptoms can include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, clumsiness, and confusion. Heat exhaustion can precede more severe illness, but a worker may deteriorate quickly. A person who seems confused or cannot follow instructions should not be sent home alone or asked to finish a shift.

Stop the task and move the worker to shade, a cool room, or air conditioning. Remove outer layers, wet the skin, and use airflow. Assign one coworker to call emergency services and another to guide responders. Do not give drinks to someone who is confused, faint, or vomiting. Record the work conditions, symptoms, and approximate exposure for clinicians; IV Fluid Therapy may be used in medical care.

Call immediately for confusion, collapse, seizure, severe weakness, breathing difficulty, repeated vomiting, or inability to drink. Do not use a return-to-work decision as a substitute for assessment. Even if the worker improves after cooling, medical advice is appropriate when there was altered awareness or fainting.

Ask when work can safely restart, which duties should be limited during recovery, and whether medicines or health conditions increase heat sensitivity. Share any previous heat illness and the prevention measures available at work.