Working Outdoors
Occupational health and safety provides support and information to help identify hazards and prevent incidents that could cause illness, injury, or death. Everyone in the workplace is legally responsible for safety.
Below are prevention tips and guidelines for individuals who work outdoors in Saskatchewan.
1. Working in Hot Conditions
Under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, employers must take measures to protect workers from heat stress disorders if it is not possible to adequately control indoor and outdoor conditions where work is done. If workers are concerned about the thermal conditions at an indoor place of employment, the employer must supply suitable monitoring equipment to ensure that the conditions are comfortable for the work being done.
In Saskatchewan, conditions that cause heat stress usually occur during summer heat waves or near hot, humid work processes. Engineering and administrative controls can be used to control heat stress and should be implemented by the employer with the help of the occupational health committee or representative at their workplace.
WorkSafe Saskatchewan's Working Under Hot Conditions guide and Hot Conditions Guidelines provide information on how to control hot conditions and prevent heat stress disorder in the workplace.
2. Protecting Workers from West Nile Virus
West Nile virus has been present in Saskatchewan since 2002. People usually get the disease after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Employers and outdoor workers need to take precautions to reduce their chances of being bitten.
The WorkSafe Saskatchewan guide Protecting Outdoor Workers from West Nile Virus provides information to employers and workers about what the disease is, who is at risk, the symptoms of the disease and what employers can do to reduce the risk of infection to outdoor workers.