Heat-Related Illnesses Affect Texas Construction Workers during Summer

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious risks in the workplace during the hot, sweltering days of summer.  The risks are even higher for construction workers who may be required to spend long periods of time out in the sun.  A hot workplace where a worker has no access to proper protective gear, can place a person at risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Typical symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, headaches, fainting, fatigue, vomiting and irritability.  Heatstroke can be seen in symptoms like a dry skin, loss of consciousness, disorientation, confusion, and in serious cases, even convulsions.  Working in the heat can cause other injuries too.  Workers in a hot environment may have sweaty palms and fogged up glasses, and this can increase the risk of injuries.  They may also be at risk from sunburns as a result of direct heat and sun exposure.

Employers must take care to prevent overheating among workers.  Cooling pads can be used to keep body temperatures down and prevent heat stroke.  You can also use wet neck bands to keep temperatures down.  Use gloves to keep hands dry, and wear sweatbands to keep sweat off your face.  Workers must be given frequent rest breaks in cool, shady areas, and must drink at least 5 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes to avoid dehydration.

Construction workers, including those involved in scaffolding construction, excavating trenches and operating cranes, may be at risk from heat-related illnesses.  Anywhere that a worker is exposed directly to the sun or heat, or is working in a poorly ventilated environment, or has a low tolerance to a hot environment, there is a danger of suffering heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

The Houston work accident lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers  represent workers injured in scaffolding collapses, crane accidents, electrocutions, trench cave-ins and other construction site accidents around Texas and nationwide.