What to know about heat exhaustion in outdoor workers

Outdoor workers may develop headache, dizziness, nausea, thirst, weakness, clammy skin, muscle cramps or a fast pulse. Symptoms can build during repeated lifting, walking or work in direct sun, especially when breaks and drinking opportunities are limited. A person with heat exhaustion may remain alert, but their condition can deteriorate if exposure continues.

Heat exhaustion is different from heat stroke, which can involve confusion, seizure, collapse or a dangerously altered level of awareness. Do not judge severity only by how much someone is sweating; move the worker to a cooler place and assess how they respond.

Stop the task and move the worker to shade, ventilation or air conditioning. Remove unnecessary outer clothing, cool the skin with wet cloths or fans, and offer small frequent sips of cool water if the person is awake and can swallow. Stay with them, inform the supervisor and arrange medical assessment if symptoms do not improve promptly. Do not send an unwell worker back alone.

Call emergency services for confusion, seizure, fainting, collapse, severe breathing difficulty, inability to drink or a suspected heat stroke. Urgent medical review is also needed when vomiting prevents fluids, symptoms worsen or the worker does not recover after cooling. Until help arrives, continue cooling and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Ask how your medicines or health conditions affect heat risk, how to build a work-rest-drinking plan, and when you can safely resume outdoor duties after an episode.