Excessive heat an obvious summertime workplace nemesis
Excessive heat an obvious summertime workplace nemesis
Some mantras are, well, just words. Others convey fundamentally important messages.
Like this one: Water, rest, shade.
To legions of workers in diverse industries across Louisiana and the country, those few words are cautionary. And when the workplace is intensely hot, they are also a prescription – for life.
Because a sad fact regarding many workplaces in the summertime is that excessive heat can render the workday perilous and even life-endangering. Dramatically spiked temperatures – often accompanied by high humidity – can turn an otherwise “normal” workday into a flatly risky proposition. Many workers don’t realize that until it is too late.
Employers of all stripes are of course legally and ethically bound to take steps that reasonably safeguard their workers against danger. High heat during the summer months is a pronounced risk that they are well aware of and required by safety regulators to address and respond appropriately to.
The bottom line concerning heat-linked danger is that company bosses and supervisors must elevate workers’ health concerns above any preoccupation with company profit.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has authored detailed guidelines concerning work-linked heat exposure that identify dangers, explain symptoms and outline safety-promoting practices to ensure workers’ well-being.
Ideally, all employers pay close attention when it comes to identifying heat risks and maximally protecting workers against the downsides.
The sad truth, though, is that some employers and other parties act negligently or even with wanton disregard when it comes to workforce safety.
Doing so is unlawful, and employees injured as a consequence can often secure meaningful legal remedies via both the workers’ compensation process and through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit.
A proven pro-worker legal team can provide further information.
