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You can mitigate the risk of health and safety concerns created by extreme heat by designing your manufacturing plant to reduce heat stress.

Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge within the manufacturing industry. Not only will businesses need to address health and safety issues and productivity loss caused by rising temperatures, climate change may also impact recruitment and corporate social responsibility.

How to manage health and safety in the workplace amidst rising temperatures

Employers must consider how they will address health and safety concerns created by rising temperatures in the workplace. Applicable occupational health and safety legislation requires employers to provide their employees with a safe workplace. As temperatures rise, governments will provide guidance on how to approach extreme temperatures in the workplace to avoid heat stress. For example, in Ontario, the provincial government created Guideline No. 33: Working in Extreme Temperature Conditions. You should assess the following when considering your approach to heat stress in the workplace:

1. Do I have a workforce engaged in physical work?
2. Do I have employees with pre-existing medical conditions?
3. Do my employees work in an extreme heat workplace such as a foundry or smelter?
4. Are my employees working in conditions with direct sunlight and high humidity?

You can mitigate...

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