Avoid eating large meals before working in a hot environment. Avoid drinking caffeine and alcoholic beverages, which will make the body lose water and will increase the risk for heat illnesses. Information for this sidebar provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. According to OSHA, when the body is unable to cool itself through sweating, serious heat illnesses can occur. There are five main health problems that can affect people who work in hot environments.
Heat stroke is the most serious of the five heat disorders.
It is caused by the failure of the body's internal mechanism to regulate its core temperature. The body can no longer rid itself of excess heat through the process of sweating. According to OSHA, victims of heat stroke can die unless they are treated promptly. Heat exhaustion occurs when the worker has failed to drink enough fluids and has lost too much fluid through sweating. The worker, while still sweating, will experience extreme weakness or fatigue, giddiness, nausea or headache.