• Take frequent short breaks in cool shade. 

• Eat smaller meals before work activity. 

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol or large

amounts of sugar.

• Work in the shade. 

• Find out from your health care provider if

your medications and heat don’t mix.

• Know that equipment such as respirators

or work suits can increase heat stress.

There are three kinds of major heat-related

disorders—heat cramps, heat exhaustion

and heat stroke. You need to know how to

recognize each one and what first aid treatment is necessary. 

OSHA Heat Stress Fact Sheet:

www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts

/heat_stress.pdf

OSHA Heat Stress Quick Card:

www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf

Lyme Disease/Tick-Borne Diseases

These illnesses (i.e., Rocky Mountain spotted

fever) are transmitted to people by bacteria

from bites of infected deer (blacklegged)

ticks. In the case of Lyme disease, most, but

not all, victims will develop a “bulls-eye”

rash. Other signs and symptoms may be

non-specific and similar to flu-like symptoms

such as fever, lymph node swelling, neck

stiffness, generalized fatigue, headaches,

migrating joint aches, or muscle aches. You

are at increased risk if your work outdoors

involves construction, landscaping, forestry,

brush clearing, land surveying, farming, railroads, oil fields, utility lines, or park and

wildlife management. Protect yourself with

these precautions:

• Wear light-colored clothes to see ticks more

easily. 

Sun

Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation,

which causes premature aging of the skin,

wrinkles, cataracts, and skin cancer. There

are no safe UV rays or safe suntans. Be

especially careful in the sun if you burn easily, spend a lot of time outdoors, or have any

of the following physical features: numerous,

irregular, or large moles; freckles; fair skin; or

blond, red, or light brown hair. Here’s how to

block those harmful rays:

• Cover up. Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved

shirts and long pants.

• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor

(SPF) of at least 30. Be sure to follow application directions on the bottle or tube.

• Wear a hat. A wide brim hat, not a baseball

cap, works best because it protects the

neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp. 

• Wear UV-absorbent sunglasses (eye protection). Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive, but they should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. Before you

buy sunglasses, read the product tag or

label.

• Limit exposure. UV rays are most intense

between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

OSHA Card—Protecting Yourself in the Sun 

www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3166.pdf

Heat

The combination of heat and humidity can

be a serious health threat during the summer months. If you work outside (for example, at a beach resort, on a farm, at a construction site) or in a kitchen, laundry, or bakery you may be at increased risk for heatrelated illness. So, take precautions. Here’s

how:

• Drink small amounts of water frequently.

• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable

clothing—cotton is good. 

FactSheet

Working Outdoors in Warm Climates

Hot summer months pose special hazards for outdoor workers who must protect

themselves against heat, sun exposure, and other hazards. Employers and

employees should know the potential hazards in their workplaces and how to

manage them.
• Wear long sleeves; tuck pant legs into

socks or boots.

• Wear high boots or closed shoes that cover

your feet completely. 

• Wear a hat. 

• Use tick repellants, but not on your face. 

• Shower after work. Wash and dry your

work clothes at high temperature.

• Examine your body for ticks after work.

Remove any attached ticks promptly and

carefully with fine-tipped tweezers by gripping the tick. Do not use petroleum jelly, a

hot match, or nail polish to remove the tick.

OSHA Lyme Disease Fact Sheet:

www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_LymeFacts/lyme

fac.pdf

West Nile Virus

West Nile virus is transmitted by the bite of an

infected mosquito. Mild symptoms include

fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally

with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and

swollen lymph glands. Symptoms of severe

infection include headache, high fever, neck

stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors,

convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

You can protect yourself from mosquito bites

in these ways:

• Apply Picaridin or insect repellent with

DEET to exposed skin. 

• Spray clothing with repellents containing

DEET or permethrin. (Note: Do not spray

permethrin directly onto exposed skin.)

• Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks. 

• Be extra vigilant at dusk and dawn when

mosquitoes are most active.

• Get rid of sources of standing water (used

tires, buckets) to reduce or eliminate mosquito breeding areas. 

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or 

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of 

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

OSHA West Nile Virus Fact Sheet:

www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/

west_nile_virus.pdf

OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin:

“Workplace Precautions Against West Nile

Virus”

http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib082903b.pdf

Poison Ivy-Related Plants

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac

have poisonous sap (urushiol) in their roots,

stems, leaves and fruits. The urushiol may

be deposited on the skin by direct contact

with the plant or by contact with contaminated objects, such as clothing, shoes, tools,

and animals.

Approximately 85 percent of the general population will develop an allergy if exposed to

poison ivy, oak or sumac. Forestry workers

and firefighters who battle forest fires have

developed rashes or lung irritations from

inhaling the smoke of burning plants.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants,

tucked into boots. Wear cloth or leather

gloves.

• Apply barrier creams to exposed skin.

• Educate workers on the identification of

poison ivy, oak, and sumac plants.

• Educate workers on signs and symptoms of

contact with poisonous ivy, oak, and

sumac.

• Keep rubbing alcohol accessible. It removes

the oily resin up to 30 minutes after exposure. 

OSHA Web Page—Poisonous Plants:

www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/sawmills/poison.

html

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

DSTM 9/2005