Two incidents in the Northern Territory involving workers experiencing heat stress while wearing heavy personal protective equipment (PPE) has led NTWorkSafe to investigate.
While the incidents did not occur on mine sites, they serve as a cautionary tale to miners to stay alert as we head into another scorching Australian summer.
In mid-August 2024, a worker conducting outdoor training wearing body armour collapsed with symptoms of heat exhaustion and was hospitalised.
The conditions that day were considered mild by Territory standards, however the worker indicated they had not been maintaining their hydration.
In late October 2024, a third-year apprentice working on a construction site was hospitalised with heat related illnesses.
The apprentice had been wearing full welding PPE and was welding in a location exposed to direct sunlight for approximately three hours before becoming unwell. A severe heatwave had been declared in that region on that day.
The human body needs to maintain a body temperature of approximately 37°C. Working in heat can be hazardous and can cause harm to workers if the workers’ body temperature rises above 37° for too long a period and is unable to cool.
Heat related illnesses range in seriousness from dehydration, to heat exhaustion, to heatstroke. Heatstroke is the most serious heat related illness that can lead to permanent disability or death without emergency treatment.
Regulation 40(f) of the Northern Territory Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011 specifically requires employers to ensure those working in extreme heat can do so without risk to health and safety.
In order to comply, NT surface miners especially must ensure they have a heat stress/heat stroke management plan in place and make sure workers have the required information and items readily available to implement the plan.
Control measures that can be implemented include scheduling work around spikes in heat and providing shady rest areas.
Subscribe to Safe to Work to get the safety news that matters to the Australian mining industry.