1. Phew, working when the weather is hot, that’s tough.
2. What kind of weather conditions are we working under and what can we do about this?
3. What should we especially watch out for together over the coming weeks?
4. Enjoying the sun!
5. It’s tough working in this space, what measures can I take?

We take the time for safety, that’s clearly stated in our GO! Compass. That means that we engage in discussion about safety and bring dilemmas out into the open. Working in the summer at times can be especially tough. It can also be hazardous, because sunburn is a potential cause of cancer. This is why it is good to be especially alert. Also pay extra attention to your colleagues. Safety means taking care of each other and implementing measures when conditions demand it.

This toolbox focuses on the things you can do when the weather is hot and for working in the summer.

Additional measures are required when the weather is hot in order to be able to work safely. During hot weather (or: heat), Heijmans also takes measures in line with the project’s type of activities. For example, by adjusting the work schedule or deferring activities. Moreover, as employee you can also take measures, such as wearing the right PPE for hot weather and drinking sufficient fluids. Also, do not forget to apply sunscreen as a protective measure.

Loss of concentration

When you work in the sun or with/near hot machinery for a (long) period of time, body temperature can rise fairly quickly and this can result in a loss of concentration. This can have a major impact on health and safety. 

You will not be as alert to your surroundings and/or the machine you are using, potentially causing harm.

​​​​​​​Heat injuries

Heat injuries can be classified into one of five categories.

1. Sunburn
2. Heat rash
3. Sunstroke
4. Heat exhaustion
5. Heatstroke

Burned by the sun: we’ve all been there: stayed too long in the sun. 

• In case of a mild burn, your skin is light red.
• In case of a serious burn you will even have blisters. 
• If a large part of your skin is burned, you may also have a fever and feel sick.

• What to do in case of sunburn
  • Move out of the sun.
  • Cool your skin with wet towels or use a watery after-sun gel.
  • Take or administer paracetamol if necessary.
  • Leave blisters intact (do not puncture them).
  • Stay out of the sun so the skin has a chance to recover.

Heat rash is a rash consisting of very small red bumps, often on the lower legs, armpits, knee hollows or on the inside of the upper legs. Heat rash is the result of the sweat ducts becoming obstructed because the body has difficulty regulating the temperature. This can occur during exertion, for example when you go walking/play sports or while doing strenuous work during warm weather or in an area where the ambient temperature is high.

What you must do in case of heat rash

• Take a rest and use water to cool down.
• Provide for canopies and shade.
• In case of doubt or serious complaints, contact your family doctor.

If you were in the sun and are suffering from headache, dizziness, nausea and/or red skin, it is possible that you may have sunstroke.

• The victim did not wear any head covering and stayed in full sun for a long period of time.
• Lots of sweat, looks pale or red.
• Headache, dizziness and vomiting.
• Muscle cramps.
• Excessive fatigue.
• Mistakes are clearly made while working.
• Can turn into heatstroke.

What you must do in case of sunstroke

• Look for cool surroundings.
• Take off warm clothing.
• Place cold compresses, or ice cubes in a bag of water, on the body (in the groin, under the armpits, in the neck).
• In case of fading in and out of consciousness, or difficulty breathing, call 112!

Heat exhaustion often occurs at high temperatures combined with strenuous effort. Body temperature rises, but stays at or below 40°C. Caution! Heat exhaustion can therefore also occur in a hot working environment or where high temperatures are created due to the work being performed, often in combination with strenuous effort. 

• Lots of sweat, looks pale or red.
• Headache, dizziness, vomiting.
• Muscle cramps.
• Excessive fatigue, feeling weak, may include fainting.
• Mistakes are clearly made while working.
• Can turn into heatstroke.

What you must do in case of heat exhaustion

• Let the victim lie down and rest in cool surroundings.
• Protect against the sun (for example, with an emergency blanket or parasol. Do not place the blanket on the victim, but hold it over the victim – shade and reflect sunlight).
• Do not allow the victim to drink (sports) beverages that are too cold.
• Cool any cramped muscles.
• Call or have someone call 112 if the condition does not quickly improve.

Heatstroke is the most dangerous of all heat injuries. Heatstroke requires immediate intensive medical care. Due to dehydration and high body temperature (sometimes 41°C or higher), the brain’s heat regulation mechanism gets into trouble.

• The victim has a high body temperature (sometimes 41°C or higher).
• The victim exhibits abnormal behaviour, headache, hallucinations, confusion, fear, chance of insult.
• The victim’s skin is red, but he/she is not sweating.
• Rapid heart beat and difficulty breathing.
• Dizziness, fatigue, feeling weak.
• Possible loss of consciousness and unconsciousness.

What you must do in case of heatstroke

• Call or have someone call 112 if the victim becomes drowsy or confused, uncoordinated or is suffering from balance disorders.
• Let the victim lie down.
• Provide for cool surroundings, have the victim remove excessive clothing.
• Provide for shade by holding an emergency blanket over the victim. Do not place the emergency blanket on top of the victim. The emergency blanket must not touch the overheated victim.
• Actively cool down the victim as quicky as possible using cold packs placed on the neck, armpits and groin.
• Prevent the victim from shivering.
• Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink.

The Red Cross has produced an interesting video on this topic.  

What should you do when someone suddenly becomes totally pale on a tropical day? Heat exhaustion often occurs at high temperatures combined with strenuous effort. Heat exhaustion can also turn into the dangerous heat injury: heatstroke. Fast action is important and Sammy explains how to do this. 

• 00:00 What to do in case of heat injury? 
• 00:34 Wat is heat exhaustion? 
• 1:01 Wat is a heatstroke? 
• 1:35 This is how you recognize the heat injuries heat exhaustion & heatstroke

If this video does not start up, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfRp7FBDTTs

UV radiation and burns

When the skin is frequently exposed to UV radiation, there is an increased probability that the skin will become damaged. This can result in skin burns and consequently in an increased chance of skin cancer or other skin disorders, such as itching or a blistering rash.

Solar Intensity Scale

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in cooperation with the KWF Cancer Fund has created a solar intensity scale. The scale provides insight into the sun’s intensity and its (potential) effects.

Solar intensity is a measure of the quantity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the sunlight that reaches the earth. Use the solar intensity scale to draw the right conclusion about the control measures you can take.

It can be very hot during the summer season. This can result in a lot of debate about the measures that should be taken and what is and what is not appropriate.

In case of hot weather or hot working conditions, additional measures must be taken to be able to work safely.

The starting point is the occupational hygiene strategy and consequently we first implement the source control measures followed by other measures; in short:

1. Source control measures (remove the cause)
2. Collective measures
3. Individual measures
4. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

The following scheme is normative in relation to working at high temperatures. The basic principle in this respect is that at temperatures between 20-30°C additional resources will be made available. Between 30-35°C the use of these resources is mandatory and this is also monitored. At more than 35°C we do not work unless we can work in a cooler environment. The measures identified here are further explained below the scheme.

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Employees have their own responsibility. Among other things, this means that they must abide with the rules. Higher temperatures, for example, may entice employees not to wear certain protective gear, such as clothing while mowing grass or chainsaw trousers. If, due to high temperatures combined with wearing this clothing, the work were to become physically overly burdensome, then the work should be performed for a much shorter period of time and, if possible, be distributed across multiple employees, or it should be deferred till later when it is cooler. 

No concessions may be made to safety by not wearing protective clothing. 

Provide for a workplace in the shade or under a canopy. As much as possible adjust activities such that it becomes possible to work in the shadow or under a canopy, instead of in full sun.  

Caution: make sure that the canopy is properly anchored. For example, it is easy to imagine that a parasol could simply be blown away and end up on a public road.

On hot days, as much as possible try to do light work. Otherwise carry out the heavier or physically more strenuous work on a task rotation basis. Create additional ventilation; adding extra mechanical or other ventilation or creating an airflow creates cooling by evaporating perspiration moisture.

Consult your supervisor to determine whether the work schedule can be adjusted, thus avoiding the need for working in full sun during the hottest times of the day. If possible, start earlier in the day, for example.

Schedule more frequent breaks. Working in hot weather or at high temperatures is very demanding. Adjust the daily schedule accordingly and provide employees with more (short) drinking breaks.

This could mean that the required daily output will not be achieved. Consult and discuss this with your supervisor.

Drinking: when the weather is hot take sufficient water along to prevent the chance of dehydration. Combine these times with a short break in the shade to regain the proper temperature and to settle down.  

When the weather is hot it is good to drink at least two litres of water. Not everyone naturally gets thirsty when he/she drinks less than the recommended quantity of water. This is why it is recommended that you drink a cup of water every hour, even when you are not yet thirsty.

Consume sufficient salt. During hot weather, the body loses a lot of moisture through perspiration. This means that the body also loses a lot of salt. Be sure to make up for this loss by consuming a sports beverage every once in a while (this contains a lot of salts) or a Cup-A-Soup, for example. As employer, we provide additional drinking breaks during hot weather or for work performed at high temperatures.

Do not wear any short sleeve shirts or shorts. Do not let the sun burn your skin. Wear light clothing that ensures your body is covered. This prevents warming and sunburn, when there is sun. This includes a light T-shirt (with long sleeves) and possibly thin trousers.  Note: not all clothing offers the same level of protection. Thin cloth barely protects against solar radiation. If applicable, use special UV-resistant clothing. Check out the clothing kit to see what is available. If you cannot come to a conclusion, contact your supervisor/PPE Coordinator or Safety Coordinator. 

Thoroughly apply sunscreen to those parts of your skin that cannot be covered with clothing (hands, face). In the Netherlands, a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 10 is required; to be reapplied every two hours. People who perspire a lot are encouraged to apply sunscreen more often. Heijmans provides sunscreen dispensers. In addition, sunscreen can also be acquired through the clothing kit.

Additional PPE is available for working in hot weather, including:

• Cooling vests
• Helmet neck flap
• Helmet cooling element 
• Sweat band inside safety helmet
• Safety sun glasses

When the Heat protocol is in effect, and there are no lifting activities and there is no danger of falling objects, alternatives may be used to especially protect the head against the sun. This includes wearing a hat with neck flap, a cool cap or cooling bandana. When this type of head protection is worn it is on the condition that the risk of head injury (including bumping hazards) is negligible.    

The items mentioned above can be ordered via your work clothing kit (through VeiligGoed).

If the previous measures are not sufficient, it is possible for the (main) contractor to contact the Safety Coordinator to investigate together whether there are any additional possibilities.

A TRA can then be prepared for this purpose. 

Note: some contracts with clients specify very specific PPE. You cannot arbitrarily deviate from this. A well supported choice must be submitted for this purpose.

TIPS > in case of questions contact the Safety Coordinator

In case of extreme weather conditions at the construction site, there may of course be some situations whereby the above-referenced measures are not easily applicable, or do not contribute sufficiently to creating a safe situation. For working under extreme weather conditions, the measures must enhance safety and must not cause any additional hindrance. In case of hot weather, employees may suffer from reduced concentration due to the heat. As a result, the measures that are considered suitable are highly person-specific. 

This is why a risk-based assessment must always be performed at the workplace to determine how to make the situation as safe as possible, and to identify the appropriate associated measures. Properly document these arrangements, for example in your daily report or in the minutes of a construction meeting, and also discuss this with all subcontractors.

For additional information:

Beleidsnotitie - Hitteprotocol Heijmans (Intern document)

Het wordt warm! Vijf hittekwalen en wat je moet doen - Rode Kruis Nederland

https://www.arbeidsveiligheid.net/veiligheidsartikelen/protocol-werken-bij-warm-weer (werkt alleen als je geabonneerd bent)

http://www.knmi.nl/nederland-nu/weer/waarschuwingen-en-verwachtingen/zonkracht

https://www.beroepsziekten.nl/content/buitenwerkers-vertonen-hoog-risicogedrag-huidkanker