Health and Safety During Extreme Heat
Extreme heat can cause hazards such as heat stress and is a legitimate workplace safety issue. The Workers Compensation Act protects your right to raise concerns about extreme heat and have the issue remedied.
As a worker, you have the right to:
- Have potable drinking water near your workstation
- Raise concerns about air quality and temperature
- Be trained on emergency evacuation procedures
- To wear clothing that will not expose you to heat stress and other hazards.
Tired of working in extreme heat without better protections? Join our call for better labour rights protections and enforced health and safety regulations that respond to the reality of the climate crisis as it manifests in the workplace!
You have the right to refuse unsafe work
- Your employer may not punish or retaliate against you for refusing unsafe work.
- You do not need to prove something is unsafe prior to refusing unsafe work
- If you believe temperatures are unsafe, report to your supervisor or employer (if you feel safe to do so).
- You’re not obligated to do the unsafe work until the employer has investigated or fixed the problem. Report unsafe work to WorkSafe BC if the employer does not investigate.
- If an employer punishes you (suspended, demoted, wage cut, terminated, etc) in response to a safety concern, the employer has committed an unlawful prohibited action.
- You can file a complaint with WorkSafe BC within 1 year of the retaliatory incident.
Employers need to maintain a safe workplace
Employers must:
- Conduct a heat stress plan.
- Conduct regular inspections of the workplace and respond to worker safety concerns.
- Respond if any of the following occur if complaints are raised by workers regarding if the temperatures in the workplace become such that a worker’s core body temperature can exceed 38° OR that a worker could experience heat stress.
Extreme Heat and Disabilities
The Human Rights Code at s.13(1)(b) sets out that a person must not be discriminated against in employment because of any physical or mental disability.
Extreme heat can worsen certain disabilities or chronic illnesses. For example, a heat wave could present more significant danger to someone with high blood pressure or impact mental health disorders.
If you have a disability that will be impacted due to heat, you can ask for accommodation to address that negative impact.
Your employer must:
1. Investigate what your needs are, with your participation.
2. Investigate how to accommodate that need to the point of not going beyond what can be expected. This is based on “reasonable” accommodation: it doesn’t have to be perfect or based on your preferences.
If you think you’ve been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal within 1 year of the discriminatory incident.
Tips for Staying Cool in Extreme Heat
- Prepare jugs of ice water
- Keep hydrated (avoid sugary drinks as these can cause dehydration)
- Wear sunscreen
- Monitor your body temperature
- Use spray bottles filled with cold water for quick relief
- Wear light and loose-fitting clothing
- Wear cooling packs around your neck
- Take breaks for respite (you are entitled to a break after 5 consecutive hours of working)
- Keep a thermometer in your workplace to monitor heat levels
Take Care of Yourself and Your Community
- Establish a buddy system and check in on one another. Ask:
- How are you doing?
- Did you sleep the night before?
- Do you need anything?
- Ask where the cooling centers are located in your community (libraries, movie theaters, community centers, shaded green spaces, parks with water fountains etc)
- Stay informed! Keep an eye out for emergency weather alerts. Either sent to your phone or tune in to the local weather forecast.