Heat Stress Toolbox Talk
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.
Takes about 7 minutes, plus a 5-question quiz.
Key points to read out
- Drink water often, about a cup every 15 to 20 minutes, even when you are not thirsty.
- Dark urine is a sign you need more water.
- 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.
- Heat exhaustion signs: heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps and weakness. Stop, rest in the shade, cool down and drink water.
- Heat stroke signs: confusion, slurred speech, hot skin, collapse or fitting. This is an emergency. Call 999 and cool them down straight away.
- 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.
- 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.
- Do heavy work early in the day and take more breaks in the shade as the heat builds.
- 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.
- Wear light coloured, loose, breathable clothing. Use cooling vests or neck wraps if available.
- 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.
- Use a buddy system. People with heat illness often do not notice how bad they are.
- 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
- Where is the shade and cool water on this site?
- What are the early signs of heat exhaustion?
- What would you do if a workmate became confused in the heat?
- Which jobs today should we move to the cooler part of the day?
- 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.
A workmate is confused, slurring and has hot skin after working in the sun. What do you do?
- Sit them in the ute with the windows up and check later
- Call 999 and cool them down fast, and stay with them
- Give them an energy drink and send them home
- 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.
On a hot day, how often should you drink water?
- Only when you feel thirsty
- About a cup every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you are not thirsty
- A big bottle at lunch
Answer: B. Thirst lags behind what your body has lost, so small, regular drinks keep you ahead of dehydration.
A new worker starts during a heat wave. What is the safest plan?
- Full workload from day one so they keep up
- Build up their workload and heat exposure over the first week or two
- 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.
Which statement about heat rules is true?
- UK law sets a maximum working temperature of 30°C
- There is no legal maximum temperature, but employers must assess and control heat risk
- Heat rules only apply to indoor work
Answer: B. HSE says there is no maximum workplace temperature, but heat is a hazard that must be risk assessed like any other.
Which day is the most dangerous for heat illness?
- 32°C, dry, with a breeze, working in the shade
- 32°C, humid, no breeze, working on a metal roof in full sun
- 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 legal maximum temperature for working outside, or inside, in the UK. HSE treats heat as a hazard that must be risk assessed, with controls such as rescheduling work to cooler times, more rest breaks, shade and free cool drinking water. Source: HSE, Temperature in the workplace (hse.gov.uk/temperature).
What does the law say about working in hot weather?
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess risks, and HSE is clear that heat is one of them, indoors or outdoors. There is no maximum temperature, but employers must put controls in place and talk to workers about changes. Source: HSE, Temperature in the workplace (hse.gov.uk/temperature).
What is the first aid for heat stroke?
Call 999 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.
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.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
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.