• Work organization: limit or avoid work during the hottest hours of the day, especially for outdoor workers if, despite the adoption of specific preventive measures, heat stress poses significant health risks to the worker; limit exposure times by rotating personnel.
It should be noted that identifying the most at-risk hours of the day must be done by evaluating the indices recognized by international regulations (WBGT, PHS), also using the tools available on the Physical Agents Portal and the Worklimate portal.
• Acclimatization: must always be considered when defining specific company procedures, both for new hires and after interruptions in work activity.
• Promote acclimatization when there is a temperature difference between different environments, for example by using transition areas with intermediate thermal conditions.
• Suitable clothing, comfortable, made of natural fibers and in light colors.
• Proper hydration and nutrition, both during work activity and in anticipation of complex thermal conditions, also taking into account any religious needs.
• Availability of fresh water at the workplace, with the recommendation that workers pay maximum attention to their hydration status.
• Information and training for workers on the health effects of heat stress and exposure to solar radiation, on specific risk protection measures, and on the implementation of emergency procedures, to be conducted in a language that workers understand.
• If the risk assessment process highlights exposure to hot microclimate risks or solar exposure, health surveillance must be arranged to check for the presence of risk factors, whether constitutional or acquired.
• Provide breaks to be taken in comfortable places.
• Designate a person to oversee the surveillance plan for preventing the effects of heat and solar radiation.