Heat and Cold Stress
Preventing heat illness, hypothermia and frostbite in outdoor and hot indoor work in Canada: heat stress and strain, the heat balance, heat rash to heat stroke and rhabdomyolysis, WBGT, humidex and heat index, ACGIH TLVs, action limits and clothing adjustments under the Canada Labour Code, BC Part 7 and Ontario's general duty, acclimatization, water, rest, shade and staged heat plans, engineering controls and cooling gear, wind chill, frostbite, trench foot and hypothermia, the work/warm-up schedule, heated shelters and work on ice, awareness-level emergency response including cold water immersion cooling, and a capstone year-round program.
HSE-243 12 lessons · 5 h 56 min
Offered by HSM University · Safety Training
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Explain the difference between thermal stress and strain, identify workers exposed to heat and cold, and describe why thermal hazards are growing and under-recorded.
- Apply the heat balance equation to explain how metabolic heat, convection, radiation, conduction and evaporation affect body temperature, and how individual factors change tolerance.
- Recognize heat rash, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and rhabdomyolysis, and distinguish heat stroke by altered mental state.
- Measure and interpret WBGT, humidex and heat index, and choose the right index for outdoor planning and indoor hot work.
- Apply the ACGIH heat stress TLVs, action limits and clothing adjustments, and describe heat stress requirements under the Canada Labour Code, British Columbia's regulation and Ontario's general duty.
- Plan acclimatization schedules, hydration, work-rest cycles, shade, scheduling, buddy systems and a staged heat stress plan with training.
- Select engineering controls and personal cooling equipment, and manage heat stress in impermeable clothing, hot enclosed spaces and workers at higher individual risk.
- Calculate wind chill, explain how cold affects performance and health, and describe the hazards of cold metal, wet cold and cold water immersion.
- Recognize frostnip, frostbite, trench foot, chilblains and the stages of hypothermia, and explain afterdrop and the effects of cold on the heart, lungs and hands.
- Apply the ACGIH cold stress TLVs and work/warm-up schedule, describe cold stress requirements in Canada, and plan clothing, shelters and safe work on ice.
- Respond at an awareness level to heat and cold emergencies, including rapid cooling for heat stroke, gentle handling and trunk rewarming for hypothermia, and frostbite care.
- Design and review a year-round heat and cold stress program with hazard inventories, triggers, acclimatization, controls, training, emergency procedures and records.
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 56 min total · final exam
- 1 Why heat and cold injure workers 28 min · quiz
- 2 How the body controls temperature 31 min · quiz
- 3 Heat illnesses 31 min · quiz
- 4 Measuring heat stress 29 min · quiz
- 5 Heat stress law and limits 28 min · quiz
- 6 Preventing heat stress: acclimatization, water, rest and shade 30 min · quiz
- 7 Engineering controls, cooling gear and special heat situations 29 min · quiz
- 8 Cold stress and wind chill 29 min · quiz
- 9 Cold injuries 30 min · quiz
- 10 Cold stress law and prevention 31 min · quiz
- 11 Emergency response for heat and cold 31 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: a year-round heat and cold stress program 29 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Description
Preventing heat illness, hypothermia and frostbite in outdoor and hot indoor work in Canada: heat stress and strain, the heat balance, heat rash to heat stroke and rhabdomyolysis, WBGT, humidex and heat index, ACGIH TLVs, action limits and clothing adjustments under the Canada Labour Code, BC Part 7 and Ontario's general duty, acclimatization, water, rest, shade and staged heat plans, engineering controls and cooling gear, wind chill, frostbite, trench foot and hypothermia, the work/warm-up schedule, heated shelters and work on ice, awareness-level emergency response including cold water immersion cooling, and a capstone year-round program.