Having just launched the Management of Heat Stress Guideline, the Qld Health Working Group (HWG) wanted provide Members with an opportunity to comprehensively understood the process for the management of heat stress, and held a Lunch and Learn in late November.
The Event was well attended by 30 delegates from Member Companies attending both in-person and virtually.
Simon Mewing (Chief Development Officer, West Side Corporation) opened the event by explaining the motivation of the HWG to develop the Management of Heat Stress Guideline, primarily due to the number of heat stress incidents still occurring - for many of these incidents, the consequences had the capacity to be severe, or even fatal.
Michelle Zaunbrecher (VP Health Safety and Environment and Business Transformation, Arrow Energy) kicked off with a safety moment on a heat stress incident indoors (the subject of a Learning Event Bulletin), highlighting that heat stress can be an issue both inside and outside, and that the risk assessment and controls provided within the Guideline, had they been implemented, may have prevented the incident.
Michelle continued to explain that the Guideline provided a robust process with defined controls recommended to be put in place at specific apparent temperature trigger points of 30, 40 and 54 degrees, defined as medium, high and critical risk respectively.
Andrew Bruce (HSE Manager, Global Engineering and Construction) spoke of his company's implementation of the Guideline and explained the key factors that affect the body's core temperature - and their link to the controls within the matrix. He also reinforced the cumulative nature of the controls from one risk level to another and detailed some of the control measures with particular emphasis on the individual risk assessment.
A short Q and A session followed, facilitated by Meisha Kershaw (General Manager, 4cRisk) giving the audience the opportunity to clarify their understanding of the implementation of the Guideline, before Simon concluded the event by re-emphasising the importance of managing the risks associated with heat stress and encouraging participants to use the Safer Together resources and implement the Guideline within their organisations.
Tim Phelan (Deputy Lead – Transformation Project, Arrow Energy) summed it up by saying “Great session today and fantastic work by the Health Working Group producing a professional easy to understand and use Heat Stress Guideline. Well done to all involved!”
Supporting materials for implementation of the Guideline:
A full recording of the Heat Stress Lunch and Learn is available to our members here.
For further information on the initiatives of the HWG click here.
Contact: [email protected].