Safety Webinar Addresses Heat-Related Illness Prevention

As temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat illness in construction workers. On July 28, led by IU Executive Vice President Jerry Sullivan, IU Manager of Health and Safety Programs Liliana Calderon, IMTEF South Regional Training Director Dave Donkin, and IMTEF National Safety Director Dave Wysocki, a webinar focusing on heat illness prevention was held for BAC members, training instructors, and signatory contractors.  
“From 2011 to 2019, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 344 work-related deaths due to environmental heat exposure,” Donkin started the webinar by showing the statistics. “Among the 344 work-related deaths in this period, 51 percent of them were due to heat exposure by working in construction.” 

Speakers also touched on four common heat related illnesses among construction workers, including heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. They further covered the steps on how to stay safe in heat, understand the warning signs, and how to prevent heat related illness. Resources on the topic are also provided at the end of the webinar. To watch the recorded webinar, please visit: https://bit.ly/3BERErg 

BAC regularly hosts an educational webinar for members, training instructors, and signatory contractors to learn more about safety and health topics. Each webinar covers a unique topic to help participants understand health and safety issues and equip themselves with sufficient knowledge to ensure that BAC members are working in safe and healthy environment. Go to bacweb.org to find out more.