Work Practice Controls
Work practice controls, also called administrative controls, employ policies, programs, procedures, and practices to control employee behaviors that reduce the exposure to heat stress. The following controls can be used to reduce heat stress:
- Reduce the physical demands of work, e.g., excessive lifting or digging with heavy objects;
- Provide recovery areas, e.g., air-conditioned enclosures and rooms;
- Use shifts, e.g., early morning, cool part of the day, or night work;
- Use intermittent rest periods with water breaks;
- Use relief workers;
- Use worker pacing; and
- Assign extra workers and limit worker occupancy, or the number of workers present, especially in confined or enclosed spaces.
Training
Training is a very important administrative control and the key to safe work practices.
Unless all employees gain adequate knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to use safe work practices when working in stressful temperature conditions, the training program will not be successful. NIOSH recommends that heat stress training program include at least the following components:
- Knowledge of the hazards of heat stress;
- Recognition of predisposing factors, danger signs, and symptoms;
- Awareness of first-aid procedures for, and the potential health effects of, heat stroke;
- Employee responsibilities in avoiding heat stress;
- Dangers of using drugs, including therapeutic ones, and alcohol in hot work environments;
- Use of protective clothing and equipment; and
- Purpose and coverage of environmental and medical surveillance programs and the advantages of worker participation in such programs.
Hot jobs should be scheduled for the cooler part of the day, and routine maintenance and repair work in hot areas should be scheduled for the cooler seasons of the year.
See OSHAcademy course 602 Heat and Cold Stress Safety for tips to protect workers in extreme temperatures.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-11. Reducing the physical demands of work, e.g., excessive lifting or digging with heavy objects, is an example of _____.
- administrative controls
You forgot to answer the question!