Working in heat JHA: hazards, controls and PPE.
Start from this template, add what's different on your site today, and have the crew sign.
| Hazards · Working in heat |
|---|
| Heat exhaustion |
| Heat stroke (it can kill) |
| New workers not used to the heat |
| Dehydration making people sloppy |
Controls
- Cool water close by. About 1 cup every 15 to 20 minutes.
- Shade and rest breaks. More as the heat index climbs.
- New and returning workers build up over 1 to 2 weeks.
- Buddy system. Know the signs.
All 4 hazards and 7 controls → · OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause)
Toolbox talk: Heat illness
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site and have the competent person sign it.
Hazards
- Heat exhaustion
- Heat stroke (it can kill)
- New workers not used to the heat
- Dehydration making people sloppy
Controls
- Cool water close by. About 1 cup every 15 to 20 minutes.
- Shade and rest breaks. More as the heat index climbs.
- New and returning workers build up over 1 to 2 weeks.
- Buddy system. Know the signs.
- Heat stroke: call 911 and cool them with water and ice right now.
- Heavy work early in the day.
- Check your state's heat rule (CA, WA, OR, MD and NV have one).
PPE
- Light-colored breathable clothing
- Hard hat sun shade
- Cooling towel
OSHA rules
OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause) · 29 CFR 1926.51(a) (drinking water) · 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) · Cal/OSHA 8 CCR 3395
Toolbox talk: Heat illness
- Water, rest, shade.
- New workers get hurt most in their first week. Build them up slowly.
- Signs: heavy sweating, cramps, dizziness, nausea.
- Confusion or no sweating means heat stroke. Call 911 and cool them now.
- Watch your buddy, and speak up.
The full talk, with questions for the crew →
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site, add what's different today, and have the competent person sign it.
Tomorrow, the crew signs it on one phone.
Dozer writes the JHA and the toolbox talk from what you say and what the cameras saw yesterday. The crew signs on the foreman's phone, and it files itself in the site's day.
- One JHA per task, per day, in under a minute
- The toolbox talk that matches the work
- Signatures on one phone, no clipboard
- Filed with the daily log, ready for an inspector
LIVE Toolbox talk · trench safety · 12 signed Photo is an AI-generated stand-in, not a customer site.
Email me the PDF
We'll send this to you as a PDF, plus a reminder if there's a date in it. One email, no list.
We use it to send this and nothing else. See privacy.
Questions crews ask
What are the hazards of working in heat?
Heat exhaustion. Heat stroke (it can kill). New workers not used to the heat. Dehydration making people sloppy.
What controls go in a working in heat JHA?
Cool water close by. About 1 cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Shade and rest breaks. More as the heat index climbs. New and returning workers build up over 1 to 2 weeks. Buddy system. Know the signs. Heat stroke: call 911 and cool them with water and ice right now.
What PPE is needed for working in heat?
Light-colored breathable clothing, Hard hat sun shade, Cooling towel. Add what your site and the task's SDS call for.
Which OSHA rules cover working in heat?
OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) (General Duty Clause); 29 CFR 1926.51(a) (drinking water); 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2); Cal/OSHA 8 CCR 3395.
Related free tools
Your site at 6 a.m., before you're there.
Free for one site and one camera. $99 a site after. Crew is always free. 7 days of everything free, no card.
