Working-in-Heat Guide Updated to Reflect New First Aid Practice

Safe Work Australia has updated its national guidance material on managing the risk of working in heat, following changes made to the recommended first aid for heat stroke.

The new guidance updates the advice for treating heat stroke, stating that “immersion in a bath of cold water is the most effective means for cooling” a victim.

Last year, Australia’s pre-eminent occupational heat stress consultant Dr Matt Brearley warned that the first-aid measures recommended in SWA’s 2017 guide cooled people’s core temperatures too slowly.

This included splashing room-temperature water on the victim, and applying cold packs to their armpits, groin, and neck.

“When someone is suffering from heat stroke, we have a half-hour window to get them cooled, otherwise we risk their core temperature [causing] their cells to die,” Brearley told OHS Alert.

“We really need to be aggressive with the cooling, and the research shows that immersing a worker in cold water is the best way to go. The gold standard is immersing the victim in two-degree water: that’s what they do in a medical setting.”

The human body needs to maintain a body temperature of approximately 37 degrees Celsius. If the body has to work too hard to keep cool or starts to overheat, a worker can suffer from a heat-related illness.

Heat-related illness is a general term to describe a range of progressive heat-related conditions including fainting, heat rash, heat cramps and heat stroke.

Heatstroke, however, is a far more serious condition that must be treated immediately. The signs of heatstroke are cessation in sweating, high body temperature and hot and dry skin.  Confusion and loss of consciousness may occur.

The new guide states that f practicable and safe to do, immersion in a bath of cold water is the most effective means for cooling a person. This means immersing the worker (whole-body from the neck down) in a bath of cold water (preferably 1–7˚) for 15 minutes.

If a cold bath is not available, or is not reasonably practicable or safe to use, use a combination of the following as available: Cool the worker by splashing cool or cold water on their skin or sponging their skin with a damp cloth.

Download the updated guide here

More information on working in heat can be found here: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/topic/working-heat

Information on the risk management process can be found in the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.

Information on consultation requirements can be found in the Code of Practice: Work health and safety consultation, co-operation and co-ordination.