Your Personal Injury Attorney Discusses Prevention of Heat-Related Injuries

During the summer months, the heat can make it very difficult for construction workers. The effort exerted in this kind of job makes it important to follow safety guidelines so that you don’t end up getting heat exhaustion or other heat-related illnesses. Your Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys want everyone to be safe all summer long, especially those who work outside.

The Department of Labor’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration held a national outreach program to outline the ways that you can protect yourself if you work outside in the summer heat. Here are three important tips that they offer to beat the heat.

Drink Water Often

When you are working in the sun, you sweat a lot. Your body has to replenish all of the water that leaves your body. That is why it is important to drink water. Normally, you should drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. If you are working in the hot sun, you should be consuming at least 12 glasses of water a day. To do this, you should have a water bottle handy. That way you can measure the water that you consume, and having water close by will encourage water drinking as well.

Take Breaks

Some of the symptoms that your body is too hot are dizziness, difficulty breathing, or shakiness. If you have any of these symptoms, you should take a break. Take some time to cool off by drinking water, getting into the shade, and resting. It will help to bring your body’s temperature down.

Your employer is required by law to allow you a break at least every four hours so that you can beat the heat. Take advantage of each of these break times so that you can give yourself time to replenish your energy.

Limit Time in the Heat

Businesses can work with employees to make sure that they don’t have to spend too much time in direct sunlight. One way to do this is to shift employees around so that each person will have limited time in extreme heat. Other ideas include giving employees a break during the hottest times of afternoon or having a work policy that will send employees home in cases of extreme heat.

If you or someone you love has been injured in the workplace due to the negligence of the employer, you may be eligible for compensation. Your Pittsburgh personal injury attorneys are committed to making sure that your rights are protected in the workplace.