SiteSorted
Toolbox talk · Australia

Heat Stress Toolbox Talk

By SiteSortedBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated

Hot weather and hard physical work can push your body past what it can cope with. Heat illness can go from feeling a bit off to heat stroke, which can kill, very quickly. We look out for ourselves and each other on hot days.

Run this talk and get signaturesTalk PDF with sign-inBlank sign-in sheet

Takes about 7 minutes, plus a 5-question quiz.

What happened: a real incident

In October 2017, two workers and a supervisor in Western Australia spent two days walking more than 16 kilometres a day across rugged Pilbara country in temperatures above 37 degrees. At the end of the second day one worker collapsed and later died, after complaining of leg cramps and dehydration the day before. The company's heat stress procedures were not understood by the workers and no specific heat training had been given. It was fined $80,000 in 2021.

Source: WorkSafe WA

Key points to read out

  1. Drink water often, about 200 ml every 15 to 20 minutes, even when you are not thirsty. Your employer must provide cool drinking water free of charge.
  2. Dark urine is a sign you need more water.
  3. Check the heat on the day, not just the temperature. Humidity, direct sun, no breeze and hot surfaces like roofs and slabs all make it worse.
  4. Heat exhaustion signs: heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps and weakness. Stop, rest in the shade, cool down and drink water.
  5. Heat stroke signs: confusion, slurred speech, hot skin, collapse or fitting. This is an emergency. Call 000 and cool them down straight away.
  6. Cool someone down fast: move them to shade, take off extra clothing, soak them with cool water and fan them, and put ice packs in the armpits and groin. Do not leave them alone.
  7. Never send someone who feels unwell in the heat to sit in a hot car or walk off alone. Heat illness can get worse quickly.
  8. Do heavy work early in the day and take more breaks in the shade as the heat builds.
  9. New workers and people back from leave need time to get used to the heat. Build up their workload over the first week or two.
  10. Wear light coloured, loose, breathable clothing. Use cooling vests or neck wraps if available.
  11. Alcohol the night before and energy drinks on the day make heat illness more likely. So do some medicines, so tell your supervisor if you are on any.
  12. Use a buddy system. People with heat illness often do not notice how bad they are.
  13. If you feel unwell, stop and say so. Nobody will be sent back to work until they have cooled down and recovered.

Questions to ask the crew

  1. Where is the shade and cool water on this site?
  2. What are the early signs of heat exhaustion?
  3. What would you do if a workmate became confused in the heat?
  4. Which jobs today should we move to the cooler part of the day?
  5. Who on the crew is new or just back from leave and needs time to get used to the heat?

How to run this talk

  • Run the talk early, in the shade, next to the water supply so everyone knows where it is.
  • Check today's forecast together and agree when heavy work stops or moves to the cooler hours.
  • Name the new and returning workers and pair each one with a buddy for the day.
  • Show the cooling kit: ice, cold water, towels and where a person would be cooled, and practise the call to emergency services.
  • Ask each person to say one early sign of heat illness out loud.
  • Record attendance, the conditions and the agreed break plan on the sign-in sheet.

Heat Stress quiz

Ask these after the talk. Answers are underneath each question.

  1. A workmate is confused, slurring and has hot skin after working in the sun. What do you do?

    1. Sit them in the ute with the windows up and check later
    2. Call 000 and cool them down fast, and stay with them
    3. Give them an energy drink and send them home
    4. Tell them to walk it off in the shade by themselves

    Answer: B. Confusion in the heat points to heat stroke, a medical emergency where fast cooling, ideally with cold water, saves lives.

  2. On a hot day, how often should you drink water?

    1. Only when you feel thirsty
    2. About a cup every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you are not thirsty
    3. A big bottle at lunch

    Answer: B. Thirst lags behind what your body has lost, so small, regular drinks keep you ahead of dehydration.

  3. A new worker starts during a heat wave. What is the safest plan?

    1. Full workload from day one so they keep up
    2. Build up their workload and heat exposure over the first week or two
    3. Only let them work at night

    Answer: B. Most heat deaths happen in the first days on the job, before the body has adjusted to working in the heat.

  4. Which statement about heat rules is true?

    1. The WHS laws say all work stops at 35°C
    2. There is no fixed stop work temperature in the WHS laws, so the heat risk must be managed on the day
    3. Heat rules only apply to indoor work

    Answer: B. The WHS laws require heat risk to be managed so far as is reasonably practicable, without a fixed temperature.

  5. Which day is the most dangerous for heat illness?

    1. 32°C, dry, with a breeze, working in the shade
    2. 32°C, humid, no breeze, working on a metal roof in full sun
    3. They are the same because the temperature is the same

    Answer: B. Humidity, direct sun, still air and hot surfaces all add heat load, so check the conditions, not just the thermometer.

Questions about heat stress

What temperature is too hot to work outside?

There is no set temperature at which work must stop under the WHS laws. Employers must manage the heat risk so far as is reasonably practicable, looking at air temperature, humidity, sun, wind, the type of work and the worker, and some enterprise agreements set their own stop work rules. Source: Safe Work Australia, Working in heat (safeworkaustralia.gov.au).

What does the law say about working in the heat in Australia?

The WHS laws require employers to manage the risk of heat related illness so far as is reasonably practicable, and to provide free, cool drinking water and suitable rest areas. There is no fixed stop work temperature, so the risk has to be judged on the day. Source: Safe Work Australia, Working in heat (safeworkaustralia.gov.au).

What is the first aid for heat stroke?

Call 000 straight away, then cool the person as fast as you can. Move them to shade, remove extra clothing, and soak them with cool or cold water while fanning, or immerse them in cold water if you can, with ice packs in the armpits, groin and neck. Stay with them and do not give drinks if they are confused or drowsy.

What is the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke?

Heat exhaustion brings heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps and weakness, and usually improves with rest, shade, cooling and water. Heat stroke is when the body can no longer control its temperature: signs include confusion, slurred speech, hot skin, collapse or seizures. Heat stroke is a medical emergency that can kill, so treat any confusion in the heat as heat stroke.

What the law says in Australia

The WHS laws require employers to make sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers in extreme heat can work without risk to their health and safety. The law sets no fixed temperature at which work must stop, so the risk has to be managed on the day. Employers must provide clean drinking water free of charge, and plan rest breaks in shade or air conditioning.

Source: SafeWork NSW

Sign-in sheet

Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.

NameCompanySignature
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Get it signed

Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.

Start the talk

More toolbox talks

Working in Cold WeatherSun Safety and UVSlips, Trips and Falls