Importance of Protecting Employees From Heat

☀️ Extreme Heat is Here — Let’s Keep Our Airport Teams Safe With dangerous heat impacting much of the U.S., our airport teams are working in some of the most intense and exposed conditions. Safety must always come first. Here are some key reminders for ensuring our teams stay safe in extreme temperatures: ✅ Hydrate constantly – Drink water throughout the day, not just during breaks. Avoid energy drinks or excessive caffeine. ✅ Take shaded or air-conditioned breaks – Rotate out of the heat regularly, especially during peak sun hours (11am–4pm). ✅ Use the buddy system – Look out for teammates showing signs of heat stress like dizziness, fatigue, confusion, or excessive sweating. ✅ Wear proper gear – Lightweight, breathable clothing, sun protection, and cooling towels can make a major difference. ✅ Know the signs – Early intervention prevents serious illness. Heat exhaustion can quickly turn into heat stroke if not addressed. ✅ Speak up – If something doesn’t feel right, say something. Safety starts with awareness and action. We all play a part in creating a culture where safety is never sacrificed for speed or convenience. Airport operations may be high tempo, but there’s nothing more important than the health and wellbeing of our teams. Preparation and training are key.

Every summer, I hear the same thing on job sites: “We’ll just push through the heat.” Most people don’t realize—heat isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s dangerous. And the risks go way beyond a bad day at work. Here’s what’s really at stake: When teams ignore heat safety, it’s not just about a few guys feeling wiped out. Dehydration and heat exhaustion can sneak up fast. Fatigue sets in. Mistakes happen. One slip, one lapse in judgment, and suddenly you’ve got a serious injury—or worse. Nobody wakes up planning to end up in the hospital. But every year, I see crews try to tough it out. Some supervisors even expect it. That’s a leadership failure, not a badge of honor. What actually keeps people safe is simple: - Encourage real breaks, not just quick water runs. - Watch for early signs of heat stress. Don’t brush it off. - Rotate hot tasks and pace the schedule—productivity drops hard with overheated teams anyway. - Talk about it daily, not just at the start of summer. If you’re leading a project, you set the tone. Safety isn’t about posters in the trailer. It’s about choices every day, especially when no one’s watching. You can be the reason someone stays healthy—or the reason they don’t come back. Don’t let your crew “push through.” Lead the way.

If you're not aware of the dangers of heat stress, just step outside for a bit and imagine working in it for hours on end. If you think it's no big deal, remember that annually in the U.S nearly 3,400 (3,389 on average) workers suffer from serious heat illness resulting in days away from work, including an average of 40 deaths. Heat can be a serious hazard, but with the right precautions, you can protect yourself and your workers. • Hydrate: Drink water frequently, even if you don't feel thirsty. Avoid sugary drinks and excessive caffeine. • Rest & Shade: Take regular breaks in cool, shaded areas. • Dress light: Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, and breathable clothing when possible. • Acclimatize: If you're new to working in the heat or returning after time off, allow your body to gradually adjust • Watch Out for Each Other: Keep an eye on your coworkers for signs of heat illness. • Speak Up: If you feel unwell or see unsafe conditions, notify your supervisor immediately. Employers play a vital role in preventing heat stress. Providing water, electrolytes, rest, shade, training, and PPE are key to a safe working environment. See Heat Stress Case Studies: https://hubs.li/Q03p01430 See Heat Stress Resources at goSafe: https://hubs.li/Q03p01v60 See Heat Stress PPE at goSafe: https://hubs.li/Q03p02fz0 #NationalHeatAwarenessDay #HeatSafety #WorkplaceSafety #BeatTheHeat #StayCool #EmployeeWellbeing #Safety #HealthAndSafety #Construction #Agriculture #Manufacturing #Oil #Gas #Energy #StaySafe

Staffing construction projects is tough, even tougher in the summer months. The heat is brutal. Talent is scarce. Schedules are tighter than ever. And when I talk to contractors, there’s no lack of concern; they genuinely want to solve these problems. The challenge? Knowing where to start. Here’s a place to begin: build safety and stability; show you care. Some reminders on some best practices for high heat environments: Create an environment where people want to be, respect and care forward. Wet bulb/dry bulb readings hourly and posted with clear, consistent guidance on work rest cycles based on heat index and work environment, across all trade teams and workers alike. Shaded break zones close to the work areas with cooling drinks plus electrolytes (don’t make people walk ten minutes for a 15min break, we have all been there.) Hydration and heat injury education and promotional material. Implement the buddy system to look out for each other, looking for symptoms and encourage hydration and work rest cycles. Make it an area of leader focus; remember confusion and impaired judgment are some of the early onset symptoms for heat injuries. Leaders need to be looked after too. Sites that offer caring leadership, relief from the heat, a safe work place and air compensation plus a culture that values growth and empowerment will retain and attract the very best talent. It takes a lot of diligence, but it will help you keep safe the people you’ve worked hard to find. #ConstructionLeadership #SkilledTrades #WorkforceDevelopment

In my new piece with Dr. Vanessa Kerry, MD MSc, we make the business case for protecting workers from extreme heat. Things that affect human health also have a direct impact on business performance, given that 84% of the value of S&P 500 companies is in human capital. Research shows worker productivity drops by as much as 2.5% per degree when temperatures rise above 80°F. This heat-induced decline in labor productivity is costing U.S. businesses $100 billion annually and is expected to double by 2030. There is compelling evidence that simple heat protection measures save lives and boost productivity. In Fast Company today, we explain how. https://lnkd.in/enNUeASC #extremeheat #osha #climate

Only 17% of CEOs have invested in strategies to protect employees from climate health risks. Protecting workers might be seen as a cost, but in reality, it provides critical savings. Heat protection measures save lives and boost productivity. ⬇️ Productivity drops by as much as 2.5% per degree when temperatures rise above 80°F. 🔥 Heat-induced declines in labor productivity are costing U.S. businesses $100 billion annually. In Fast Company today, Senator Bill Frist, M.D. and I explain why businesses would be wise to proactively invest in better protection for workers’ health and safety. https://lnkd.in/eT3GvyhT Health Action Alliance #ClimateHealth #EmployeeWellbeing #WorkplaceSafety #HeatProtection #ExtremeHeat #WorkplaceHealth

In the sweltering heat enveloping much of the U.S., many of us have the freedom and flexibility to seek shelter and minimize exposure to the extreme conditions. However, for outdoor workers, few legal requirements exist to keep them safe. While recent weeks have seen Earth’s highest average temperatures on record, climate change means hot weather is likely to be norm from now on. Yet most U.S. workers have few legal protections related to extreme heat conditions. And that's not only harsh, but inhumane. First and foremost, no federal law protects workers specifically from extreme heat. And lawmakers at the state level have done little to address the issue. In some instances, states have actually rolled back protections. For example, legislators in Florida rejected legislation that required employers to implement outdoor heat exposure safety training programs, provide cool drinking water, shade and rest breaks in hot conditions. In Texas, lawmakers overturned heat safety ordinances in Dallas and Austin as part of a sweeping statute that stripped local governments’ rights to regulate workplace issues. In fact, outside of only six states including Washington, Oregon and California, employers are not required to implement such programs. And even for the few that do, the laws all differ. Having said that and laws and regulations aside, employers should proactively develop safety plans and provide protections such as water, light-colored clothing and rest breaks. The risk to workers is serious enough with long-term health effects. So while we're complaining about the heat wave that's engulfing the country, keep in mind the many workers who have to work in the scorching temperatures, which will only get worse. Until there's meaningful legislation, they have little to no choice https://lnkd.in/gZsnZfzB #workers #heat #climatechange #workingconditions #health #unitedstates #work #regulations

Of all the weeks to be in the pipeline, energy world of Midland we're facing record-breaking heat across the Plains. This reminds me of my annual heat related illness post on the dangers extreme temperatures pose to our workforce, especially those in oilfield services, construction, agriculture, and other sectors where driving supports physically demanding outdoor labor. 🔥Between 2011 and 2020, the US averaged 3,389 work-related heat injuries and illnesses annually that resulted in days away from work. From 1992 to 2022, 986 workers died from heat exposure, with construction alone accounting for 34% of those deaths. ⚠️These numbers likely underrepresent the true impact, as many heat-related incidents go unreported or are misclassified. 🚛Vocational Fleets with Driving as a secondary role⬇️ 🛢️⛽Workers in oil and gas, construction, and agriculture spend a lot of time in extreme heat, then operate vehicles, adding fatigue and cognitive strain to an already risky environment. Increased heat impairs decision-making and reaction times, elevating the risk of accidents. The tool to help➡️ The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) /OSHA Heat Safety Tool App which you see here. This app allows you to advise employees working in. geographical locations on what their heat related risks are and precautions to take by location on what to do to prevent heat related illness or death. #HeatSafety #WorkerWellness #NIOSH #OSHA #Riskmitigation #Exposuremanagement

It is hot for me to cross the street in NY and sometimes I feel like my capacity to do anything slows down as the temperature goes up. I cannot imagine harvesting fruit or vegetables under the hot summer sun. Unfortunately climate change is making this harder and harder. Did you know extreme heat is more deadly than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined, and the more than 2 million farmworkers who harvest our food are on the frontlines. Environmental Defense Fund and La Isla Network research identified just how vulnerable these essential workers are: they face 20x higher heat-related mortality than other categories of workers. Yes 20x. That’s why newly proposed heat protection rules from the Biden Administration are so important: mandatory rest breaks, access to shade and water will protect human health and the resilience of our food system. See also: https://lnkd.in/efBkSjtD  

This summer has brought scorching temperatures, and construction crews, farmworkers, landscapers and other outdoor workers are especially vulnerable. To help them stay safe, we need strong, commonsense protections. But so far, nationwide safeguards don’t exist EDF is advocating for the first-ever federal standard to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. It would require employers to give water, paid breaks and shade once temperatures hit certain thresholds—protections that could mean the difference between staying safe or ending up in the ER and losing income. The bottom line: No one should have to choose between their health and their paycheck. https://lnkd.in/eMcUU4Ha