Workers safety - Working safely under the sun
Guidelines for Heat Illness Prevention
General Guidelines
- IRRI recognizes that fieldwork during hot dry season/summer months increases risk of heat illness to exposed staff and non-staff. All fieldwork shall be covered by these guidelines to reduce the risk of heat illness
- All fieldwork staff and non-staff will be provided with:
- shade/rest areas
- rest/recovery period as needed
- drinking water
- As a precaution, work at the research fields during the hot summer months will be from 6AM to 10AM to avoid extreme heat exposure
Heat Index Monitoring and Protective Measures
- Safety and Security Services (SSS) will monitor Heat Index using current local weather stations installed at the research fields, Heat Index Calculator (please click here), Heat Index Tables of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS) (see Annex 1a and Annex 1b)
- SSS will send out email/SMS advisory if Heat Index has reached High Risk (39°C) with updates as needed
- Research groups will follow the corresponding OSHA Protective Measures to Take at Each Risk Level (see Annex 2)
First Aid and Communication
- At least one member in a group of field workers, either the group leaders (e.g. supervisors, researchers, research technicians & service provider on-site lead person) or worker should have been trained in first aid, especially for heat exhaustion and heat stroke
- The group leaders managing the field workers should have communications equipment available (e.g. cell phones or handheld radios) for emergency communications and shall be knowledgeable on how to contact Emergency Services (i.e. call Emergency Hotline 0918-923-4798 or trunk lines 049-536-2701 to 05 / 02-580-5600 extension 2222)
Training and Acclimatization
- Prior to start to work, all new fieldworkers shall be given Heat Safety Training, OSHA’s Heat Safety Training Guide (see Annex 3) shall be adopted and supplemented with Heat Safety Fact Sheet (see Annex 4)
- All new fieldworkers and those returning from a prolonged absence shall be acclimatized gradually on the first few days of the job
For feedback, questions and clarifications, email safetyandsecuirty@irri.org or contact x2796
