One of your top priorities as an employee is to ensure your health and welfare on the job and help create a safe working environment. A big part of that, particularly in states that can get hot in the summer, such as New Jersey, is to prevent heat stress in the workplace. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do in order to prevent heat stress.
What are heat stress and heat exhaustion?
Heat stress and heat exhaustion are all-too-common problems in the workplace, and they may result in workers’ comp claims. Heat exhaustion occurs when someone is overexerting themselves in a hot environment. Symptoms include profuse sweating, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea and more. In extreme cases, it can cause a loss of consciousness or death.
How can you prevent an injury?
As a worker, there are plenty of things you can do to prevent heat exhaustion. These include the following:
- Rest regularly and try to make sure that you are able to rest in a cooled area.
- Drink water frequently.
- Work with management to determine what options you may have to lower the temperature of your surroundings, and ensure that you are wearing appropriate protective clothing.
- Examine your legal options. An employer that requires you to work in unsafe conditions may be violating multiple local and federal laws, potentially entitling you to legal compensation.
If you are concerned about heat stress or believe that your rights in the workplace are being violated in any other way, you may want to speak with a legal professional to help you determine potential remedies. No matter where you work, your employer should be doing everything they can to keep you safe, and if they are not doing that, you may have legal options.