Heat Stress - est55030070

DOE-EM-STD-5503-94

Implementation of preventive measures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) early

in the operations so that sound work practices are developed and followed,

Proper initial training of workers to recognize the symptoms of temperature extreme

related disorders or conditions in themselves and their fellow workers,

Implementation of a "buddy system", and

Proper acclimatization of all workers to new or changing work conditions.

6.2. HEAT STRESS

Increased physical demands on workers occur as a result of increased air temperature and

humidity. Wearing PPE also increases the demands on workers, due to:

Added weight of the equipment,

Reduced visibility,

Reduced mobility,

Loss of the body's natural cooling processes,

Increased energy consumption by the body, and

Lack of sufficient fluid replenishment.

Other factors that influence the occurrence of heat related disorders or conditions include

environmental conditions, clothing, workload, and the individual characteristics of workers.

Workers should be pre-screened prior to beginning operations. Once baseline values are

obtained, they can be used to effectively assess the health of workers during and immediately

after operations (e.g., pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, body weight).

Because of the variability of these factors and the compounding effect that each may have on an

individual's health, a physiological monitoring program should be established.

6.2.1. Monitoring

Personnel who are not required to wear PPE are not immune to the potential hazards of heat

related disorders or conditions and should be included in the monitoring program.

The guidance for workers wearing permeable clothing is specified in the current version of the

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values

for Heat Stress. If actual clothing differs from the ACGIH standard ensemble in insulation value

and/or wind and vapor permeability, changes should be made to the monitoring requirements and

work rest period to account for these differences. Table 6-1 provides the suggested frequency of

physiological monitoring for fit and acclimatized workers.

The ACGIH TLV guide contains a separate table for workers wearing semipermeable and

impermeable encapsulating clothing. In these situations, refer to this table.

6-2