Working outdoors in Florida isn’t easy. The soaring temperatures in the Sunshine State, especially during the summer months, can cause heat-related injuries that can land you in the emergency room at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center or Halifax Health.
Employers can put their workers at risk for heat stroke, heat syncope, heat exhaustion, and other dangerous conditions by having them work in high temperatures without providing them with safety tools.
How Your Employer Should Keep You Safe
Your employer should provide you with safe working conditions. If he doesn’t, you could suffer from life-threatening heat illnesses that may prevent you from working. Here, we discuss how your boss can keep you safe:
- Schedule hot jobs for the cooler part of the day
- Provide cool areas for use during break periods
- Use relief workers or assign extra workers for physically demanding jobs
- Monitor workers who are at risk for heat illness, such as those who have heart problems and blood pressure issues
- Help workers get used to the temperatures by gradually exposing them for longer periods of time
- Provide cool liquid or water to employees
- Reduce the physical demands of workers when the temperatures are particularly high
- Provide heat-stress training that teaches about treatment, worker risk, prevention, personal protective equipment, and symptoms
When You Get Sick, We Are Here
The attorneys of Johnson and Gilbert understand that any illness that prevents you from working can be devastating. You may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation for your heat-related illness, and we may be able to help you get it. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and to request your complimentary copy of the book It’s Not Rocket Science, It’s Workers’ Comp.
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