Australia experiences frequent and intense heat waves during the summer months. With temperatures rising off the charts across Australia this summer experienced the Bureau of Meteorology had to add new colours to extend its previous temperature range that was capped at 50 degrees. This has heightened the resources industry’s awareness to working in heat and the risks if proper precautions are not observed. Hot workplaces are common in the resources industry and heat can be generated from Hot climatic conditions, Situations where heavy work is undertaken in moderate conditions, Hot work processes with radiant heat, such as welding, and Working in conditions requiring heavy protective clothing. Worker productivity, permit to work, heat stress indices, medical management, dehydration testing and heat illness protocols are all important components in managing heat illness. Heat index is a range or sequences of single numbers that attempt to reflect the effects of basic parameters in any thermal environment. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WGBT) is the most commonly used index but has its limitations.
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