Too Hot To Handle: The Rising Impact Of Climate Change

Too Hot To Handle: The Rising Impact Of Climate Change

In the final weeks of June, an estimated 100 million people were under some level of heat advisory in the northeastern United States as it underwent its first heat wave of the 2024 summer season. Temperatures hit above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37°C) in the state of Maine, which is well above the summer average high of 80°F (26°C). Sadly, this is a new reality, with NOAA predicting a hotter-than-average summer, and climate projections expecting global temperatures to continue to rise.

Heat-related incidents are not a new phenomenon for EHS functions – or for industries that operate in hot regions or outside – but the increase in average high temperatures and their duration will require a new mindset. Increased water breaks, appropriate clothing and equipment, portable air conditioning units, and proper ventilation are all tools that can be employed to decrease the risk of heat stroke or dehydration. These conditions, dangerous enough for individuals at populated work sites, are exponentially more so for lone workers, who have no one to help identify the symptoms or provide aid.

Firms can leverage OSHA’s regulatory heat framework, or the various National Safety Council checklists, to build in both knowledge and action plans to deal with the adverse effects of extreme heat. Beyond these pen and paper methods, vendors are developing tools to help track, measure and alert for heat stress. Mobile applications can help plan working times to minimize exposure, wearable devices can track core temperatures or alert safety teams when a worker is in danger, and targeted training courses can educate workers about the symptoms and best practices. Vendors such as Attune are even going a step further and employing predictive analytics to leverage weather data to identify the most likely times of day that extreme heat stress may occur (see Verdantix Strategic Focus: Digital Tools To Protect Workers From Heat-Related Stress).

Regardless of a firm’s operating location, heat stress will continue to be a hot topic for safety professionals as global temperatures continue to rise.