Managing heat stress at work: essential safety steps and WHS obligations

As the heat sets in across Australia, outdoor workers face a serious risk: heat stress. It’s more than just feeling hot or uncomfortable; extreme heat can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even life-threatening heatstroke. For employers, protecting workers from heat exposure isn’t just good practice – it’s the law. In this article, we’ll cover what heat stress is, what your employer obligations are, and share nine practical steps for managing heat stress in your team.

What’s heat stress?

Heat stress happens when the body can’t cool itself properly. This can lead to fatigue, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or collapse. High-risk roles include construction, agriculture, road work, mining, landscaping, and any outdoor work carried out in direct sunlight or hot environments – such as factories or workshops.

Heat and the law

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, employers, or persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), must provide and maintain a safe work environment that is without risk to health, including risks from exposure to extreme temperatures.

The WHS Regulations and Safe Work Australia’s Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities require employers to:

• Identify and assess environmental hazards such as heat and humidity
• Implement control measures to eliminate or minimise risk
• Consult with workers on how work can be safely managed in hot conditions

Beyond the serious health implications, failure to manage heat-stress risks can lead to significant legal and financial consequences, including WHS prosecutions, fines, and enforcement notices.

What happens if you ignore the law?

Ignoring heat risks doesn’t just breach your duty of care, it puts lives at risk.

SafeWork regulators in NSW, QLD, and VIC have issued penalties and improvement notices where workers have suffered heat stress or dehydration due to poor controls.

Potential consequences include:

• Fines and enforcement action under WHS legislation
• Workers’ compensation claims and lost productivity
• Reputational damage due to preventable safety incidents 

Nine practical steps to manage extreme heat

With planning and simple preventive measures, you can manage heat risks effectively. Here are practical actions employers can take to keep outdoor workers safe:

1. Schedule smart

Plan heavy or high-risk work for early mornings or late afternoons when temperatures are cooler. Rotate tasks and allow for regular rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.

2. Provide shade and cool areas

Set up portable shelters, tents, or shade structures. For fixed sites, ensure break areas are cool, well-ventilated, and easily accessible.

3. Promote hydration

Encourage employees to drink cool water frequently not only when they feel thirsty. Provide coolers, refill stations, and electrolyte drinks for prolonged work in the sun.

4. Monitor weather conditions

Use apps or alerts from the Bureau of Meteorology to track heatwaves and high UV levels. Stop or reschedule work during extreme heat or when the Heat Index exceeds safe levels.

5. Review PPE and clothing

Choose lightweight, breathable, and light-coloured PPE and uniforms. Avoid materials that trap heat and ensure head protection includes ventilation or neck flaps.

6. Train and educate staff

Provide toolbox talks on recognising early signs of heat stress, such as fatigue, confusion, cramps, and dizziness, and encourage workers to speak up immediately if unwell.

7. Develop a heat stress procedure

Create or review your Heat Stress Management Procedure, outlining how to identify risks, monitor workers, and respond to heat-related illness. Ensure supervisors know how to apply it.

8. Have an emergency response plan

Ensure first aiders are trained to recognise and treat heat illness. If someone collapses, call 000, move them to shade, and begin cooling immediately using water, ice packs, or fans.

9. Lead by example

Supervisors and managers should model safe behaviours by taking breaks, hydrating, and reinforcing safety messages. A proactive culture starts at the top.

Safety isn’t optional

Managing heat stress isn’t optional; it’s a legal requirement and a moral responsibility. By taking these steps, employers not only protect their workers but also improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and demonstrate genuine care for their teams.

Citation Safety can help

Our safety software, provides tailored workflows to help identify potential workplace hazards, document incident details, and manage an individual’s return to work following a workplace accident. If you have questions, our Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) experts are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Safety Advice Line.

Talk to the team at Citation Safety about your workplace compliance today — arrange your complimentary consultation.

About our author

Jack Bowkett is a Workplace Health and Safety Consultant at Citation Group. He has an interest in all things safety-related and regularly provides pragmatic advice on how businesses can comply with their WHS obligations and create a safe working environment.