Health Awareness

EXTREME HEAT PERIODS

A heat-safety reminder for Tufts employees

Most Tufts University employees work in air-conditioned spaces, but heat illness can still occur during outdoor work, travel between buildings, special events, loading/delivery tasks, hot kitchen or dish room work, field work, or work requiring protective clothing/PPE.

Please plan ahead, speak up early, and check on one another.

Where heat risk may be higher at work

Work/learning setting	Recommended precautions
Grounds, facilities, trades, parking, deliveries, outdoor events	Use shade or air-conditioned recovery areas; schedule heavier tasks earlier when feasible; rotate tasks; use a buddy system; build in more frequent recovery breaks during peak heat. Physical exertion requirements may need to be modified.
Dining, catering, kitchens, dish rooms, loading areas	Heat can build near ovens, grills, dish machines, steam, and loading docks. Rotate away from hot equipment when possible, keep cool water available, and report ventilation/cooling concerns.
Labs, animal areas, research spaces using PPE	Do not loosen or remove PPE in an active lab, animal, clinical, or procedure area. If overheated, stop work when safe, leave the area according to local protocol, and remove PPE only in the designated doffing/safe area.
Offices, libraries, classrooms, and air-conditioned labs	Risk is usually lower, but stay alert during commuting, stair use, outdoor walking between buildings, HVAC disruption, or after-hours work when support may be limited.

Prevent heat illness: practical steps

Hydrate safely

For employees working in heat, OSHA recommends small, frequent amounts — about 8 oz every 15–20 minutes, or roughly 24–32 oz per hour. Do not exceed 48 oz per hour, because drinking too much water or other fluids can dilute blood sodium and cause a medical emergency. For prolonged strenuous work, especially more than 2 hours, electrolyte-containing fluids and regular meal breaks may help replace salts lost through sweat.

Cool down early

Listen to your body and do not try to “push through” heat symptoms. If you begin to feel overheated, lightheaded, weak, nauseated, unusually tired, or develop a headache or muscle cramps, move to a cooler or shaded area as soon as it is safe. If required PPE is being worn, leave the work area first and follow the appropriate doffing process before removing PPE. Early cooling, rest, and hydration can help prevent heat illness from becoming more serious.

Speak up and check in

Extreme heat is a good time to look out for one another. Please tell a supervisor, faculty member, or team lead if you feel unwell, notice someone struggling, or believe a work area is becoming too warm. Supervisors and faculty should encourage breaks, check in with employees and students doing physical or outdoor work, and watch closely for signs of heat illness. If someone appears confused, faints, has a seizure, cannot drink safely, or seems seriously ill, call for emergency help immediately.

Know the warning signs

Heat exhaustion: act early

Heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, fast heartbeat, or feeling faint. Move to a cooler area, rest, and sip cool water if alert. If possible, apply cool compresses to skin. Seek health care as soon as possible.

Heat stroke: emergency

Confusion, fainting, seizure, inability to drink safely, very high body temperature, or appearing seriously ill. Seek emergency help immediately.

Who to contact

For work-related heat symptoms or questions about working in heat with a medical condition, contact Occupational Health Services: 617-627-6500. For urgent or life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or TUPD emergency at 617-627-6911.

Please take the heat seriously, look out for one another, and pause work or learning activities when heat symptoms appear.