The Abu Dhabi Center for Public Health called on workers working under the sun to take precautions to avoid “heat stress”, pointing to the possibility of exposure to many occupational diseases and injuries, the most important of which are heat stroke, heat exhaustion, fainting, cramps and rashes.
Doctors gave advice to prevent these injuries, most notably drinking plenty of water and fluids and eating vegetables.
In detail, the Abu Dhabi Center for Public Health launched the “Safety in the Heat” program to enhance awareness of the importance of taking the necessary measures from employers and supervisors of workers, to prevent heat and avoid exposure to heat stress, in addition to focusing on educating them about the potential risks in the event of exposure to sunlight and how to prevent them. .
He indicated that it provides, through its awareness program, every year, a variety of materials that help employers deal with this issue, and provide support to employers, by educating and introducing workers and employers to their rights and duties to maintain their safety, and work to reduce the number of injuries resulting from heat stress.
The center pointed out that the program covers various sectors operating in the emirate, such as construction, industry, waste, energy, tourism, culture, health, transportation and food.
It also seeks to enhance the health of the residents of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and to ensure the safety of its workers, through the implementation of an integrated system of public health and preventive programs at the highest levels.
The center called on employers that operate within Abu Dhabi, and have workers in exposed places under direct sunlight, to implement the requirements of the “Safety in the Heat” program, and to ensure that the correct control measures are put in place to protect them from heat stress, in addition to distributing responsibilities, and providing the necessary training remotely. During this period, for all concerned, printing instructions for eating appropriate food, the need to drink plenty of water during breaks, wearing personal protective equipment and others, and distributing them in workers’ gathering places to maintain their safety. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation applies the “noon work ban” from last June 15 to September 15, as it is prohibited during this period to perform work under the sun and in open places, starting from 12:30 noon until three o’clock. afternoon. Doctors identified signs of high body temperature when working at high temperatures, such as headache, dizziness, fainting, weakness, and general weakness. They stressed that the health problems associated with working at high temperatures and direct exposure to sunlight include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, and skin rashes. The doctors, Muhammad Khaled, Ayman Attia and Israa Mahmoud, said that the symptoms and signs of heatstroke include fainting, excessive sweating, redness of the skin, confusion, and a rise in body temperature to more than 40 degrees Celsius.
As for the symptoms and signs of heat stress associated with working in high temperatures and under the sun, they include cold skin, excessive sweating, headache, nausea or vomiting, as well as feeling dizzy.
The doctors praised the awareness campaigns on the dangers of heat stress carried out by the relevant authorities in the country, with the aim of introducing the necessary preventive measures to people whose work requires exposure to sunlight, and raising their level of awareness of the dangers of heat stress, noting the importance of following preventive instructions to avoid cases of heat stress and heatstroke.
They pointed out that the category of workers most vulnerable to health problems related to exposure to high temperatures and direct sunlight are people who are not accustomed to working in high temperatures, and to do great physical effort, and who are not accustomed to working outside and under direct sunlight, and those with chronic diseases and obesity. In addition to those who had some early heat-related symptoms the day before.
• The “Safety in the Heat” program covers the various sectors operating in the emirate.
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