Heat stress: a growing occupational hazard
RG Iberia highlights heat stress as an increasingly common occupational risk, driven by the significant rise in temperatures across Spain in recent years. With heatwaves becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged, the impact is particularly severe in sectors such as construction, agriculture, mining, and other outdoor activities. According to the company, the most effective way to prevent heat stress is by ensuring that workers are equipped with appropriate gear designed to protect them from extreme heat.
RG Iberia stresses that safeguarding employee health and safety requires a dedicated heat stress protocol, a set of preventive measures aimed at minimising the harmful effects of high temperatures on workers. The core aim of this protocol is to identify, assess, and control the risks associated with exposure to extreme heat, thereby ensuring safe working conditions. The protocol outlines not only reactive measures during heatwaves, but also includes preventive organisational, technical, and training actions to be implemented in high-risk workplaces.
Occupational heat stress arises when workers are exposed to extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, that impair the body’s ability to regulate its internal temperature. In high-heat scenarios, the human body may struggle to manage sweating and blood circulation, which can result in overheating. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), prolonged exposure to intense heat can cause fatigue, heat stroke, dehydration, and other serious health conditions. Heat stress can affect not only physical health, but also cognitive performance, increasing the likelihood of workplace accidents.
Appropriate Equipment
As RG Iberia points out, providing the right equipment is key to preventing heat stress. This equipment not only shields the skin and body from elevated temperatures but also helps maintain thermal comfort throughout the workday.
Occupational safety experts emphasise that protective gear should be designed to support perspiration and allow sweat to evaporate effectively, helping the body regulate its temperature. It’s also essential that PPE is lightweight and breathable to prevent additional overheating during work activities. Light, breathable fabrics, ventilated helmets, cooling vests, and heat stress monitoring wristbands are just some of the solutions RG Iberia offers to help prevent heat stress in the workplace.
Heat stress presents an ongoing challenge that demands well-planned, preventive strategies. RG Iberia supports businesses in adopting these measures by offering workwear and PPE solutions tailored for extreme heat conditions.