| Topic: Working Outdoors: Do You Have Everything Under the Sun? | |
| Date Issued: July 27, 2010 | Date Revised: |
Drink a lot of cool fluid all day – before you feel thirsty
Drink lots of water before beginning work and about one cup every 20 minutes while working. Liquids with sodium content are also a good choice.
Take it slowly
Work slowly and take short, frequent breaks. Gradually increase the frequency, intensity and duration of your tasks as you become acclimatised.
Limit your time in the sun
The sun is most intense between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., so plan heavy work before or after peak intensity hours. Seek shade whenever possible.
Use sunscreen
Wear a high SPF (15 or greater) sunscreen and lip balm, even on cloudy days, and reapply when necessary. Sunscreen should be used in addition to cover-up clothing, not in place of it.
It’s the law!
Section 22 and subsection 23(1) of General Regulation 91-191, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, set the required precautions to avoid heat stress:
