Australia's summer heat creates real challenges for people who work outdoors or in poorly ventilated spaces. Whether you're on a building site, working in warehouses, doing farm work, or in any role that exposes you to high temperatures, understanding how to work safely in heat isn't just about comfort, it's about survival.

Workers in Australia have rights when it comes to working in extreme heat. Under work health and safety legislation, employers have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment. This includes managing heat-related risks. If your workplace is unreasonably hot and your employer isn't taking steps to manage the risk, that's a workplace safety issue you can raise with your health and safety representative or your union.

Acclimatisation matters more than most people realise.

Your body needs time to adjust to working in heat. If you're starting a new outdoor job, returning to work after time off, or the season has suddenly turned hot, you need a gradual introduction to working in high temperatures.

Smart employers implement acclimatisation programs where new workers or those returning from leave start with shorter periods in the heat and gradually increase over one to two weeks.

Your body becomes more efficient at cooling itself, but only if given time to adapt.

Hydration starts before you arrive at work.

Drink at least 500 millilitres of water in the hour before starting work in hot conditions.

During work, drink water regularly whether you feel thirsty or not.

As a general rule, aim for a cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes when working in heat.

That's about 750 millilitres per hour.

Sports drinks help replace electrolytes for people sweating heavily, but water should be your primary fluid.

Your employer must provide an adequate supply of cool drinking water.

If they're not, that's a serious safety violation. Checking your hydration status is simple.

Your urine should be pale yellow. If it's dark yellow or amber, you're dehydrated.

If you're not urinating regularly despite drinking water, that's also a warning sign.

Monitoring your weight before and after work shifts can indicate fluid loss.

Losing more than 2 percent of your body weight through sweat means you're not drinking enough during work.

Clothing choices make a huge difference. Light-coloured clothing reflects heat rather than absorbing it.

Loose-fitting clothes allow air circulation around your body and help sweat evaporate.

Natural fibres like cotton breathe better than synthetic materials.

Long sleeves and long pants might seem counterintuitive in heat, but they protect against sunburn and actually keep you cooler than exposed skin in extreme conditions.

Wide-brimmed hats are mandatory for outdoor work. Hard hats with brim attachments or inserts protect your head while providing sun protection.

Sunscreen is essential for outdoor workers.

You need SPF 50 plus broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen applied 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours.

Your employer should provide sunscreen free of charge.

Sweating, wiping your face, and wearing PPE can remove sunscreen, so reapply more frequently if needed.

Outdoor workers have significantly higher rates of skin cancer than the general population.

Protecting yourself now prevents serious health problems decades later. Work scheduling should account for heat. Starting earlier to complete heavy work before the hottest part of the day makes sense.

Taking extended breaks during peak heat between 11am and 3pm reduces heat exposure.

Rotating workers through hot and cooler tasks spreads the heat load. Increasing the frequency and length of breaks when temperatures soar isn't about being soft, it's about preventing heat illness that costs far more in medical bills and lost productivity than a few extra breaks.

Rest breaks need to be in genuinely cool or shaded areas.

Sitting in the sun or in a hot vehicle isn't a proper break.

Employers should provide shaded rest areas with seating, fans, and cool drinking water.

Air-conditioned spaces are ideal for breaks during extreme heat.

During breaks, remove heavy PPE if safe to do so, loosen tight clothing, drink water, and use cold wet towels on your head and neck to cool down.

Recognising heat illness symptoms in yourself and coworkers could save lives.

Early warning signs include heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, headache, muscle cramps, and irritability.

If you or a coworker experiences these symptoms, stop work immediately, move to a cool area, rest, and drink water.

These symptoms are your body's warning system that you're struggling with the heat. Heat exhaustion progresses from early symptoms to include pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, fainting, and vomiting.

Someone with heat exhaustion needs to stop work completely, move to a cool environment, lie down with legs elevated, remove excess clothing, and drink cool water.

They should not return to work that day. Heat exhaustion is serious and requires monitoring because it can progress to heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Symptoms include extremely high body temperature above 40 degrees, hot dry skin or sometimes continued sweating, rapid strong pulse, confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness. Heat stroke can kill quickly.

Call triple zero immediately. While waiting for medical help, move the person to the coolest place possible and use every means available to cool them including cold water, ice packs, fans, and removing clothing. This is life-threatening and requires urgent medical treatment.

Certain workers face higher risks in heat.

Older workers, people with chronic health conditions, those taking certain medications, people who are overweight, and workers who are unfit have reduced heat tolerance.

New workers and those returning after absence haven't acclimatised.

Young workers might push themselves beyond safe limits. Workers on certain medications including antihistamines, blood pressure medications, and some mental health medications have reduced heat tolerance. These workers need additional monitoring and may require modified duties during extreme heat. Physical workload directly affects heat stress.

Heavy physical work generates internal body heat that adds to the environmental heat.

Tasks requiring heavy lifting, prolonged standing, bending, or climbing generate more heat than light work.

Work pace matters too. Rushing through tasks in heat increases heat generation and heat stress.

Slowing down during hot conditions isn't lazy, it's smart and safe.

Mechanical aids reduce physical workload and heat generation.

Using machinery, trolleys, or lifting equipment instead of manual handling reduces the physical effort required.

Better work planning that eliminates unnecessary movement or double handling reduces heat exposure.

Providing adequate tools and equipment so workers aren't struggling with inadequate gear reduces frustration and physical effort. Workplace design influences heat exposure.

Metal roofs without insulation create unbearable working conditions.

Inadequate ventilation traps hot air.

Dark-coloured buildings and work surfaces absorb and radiate heat.

Employers can improve conditions with insulation, ventilation systems, evaporative coolers, air conditioning, shade structures, and reflective coatings on roofs and walls. These aren't luxuries, they're safety measures.

Communication about heat stress should be open and ongoing. Workers shouldn't fear speaking up about struggling with heat.

Creating a workplace culture where admitting you need a break or more water is acceptable rather than seen as weakness saves lives. Supervisors should be trained to recognise heat illness symptoms and empower workers to stop work if conditions become unsafe. Emergency response plans should exist for heat illness.

Designated first aiders should know how to recognise and treat heat illness.

First aid supplies should include items for heat treatment.

Communication systems need to work in all areas so help can be summoned quickly. Evacuation plans should account for moving someone experiencing heat illness safely.

Personal responsibility matters too. Coming to work already dehydrated, hungover, or sleep-deprived reduces your heat tolerance.

What you do outside work affects your ability to work safely in heat. Getting adequate sleep, eating properly, moderating alcohol consumption, and staying hydrated outside work hours all contribute to heat tolerance at work.

Working in Australian summer heat is challenging and sometimes dangerous. But with proper precautions, adequate hydration, appropriate breaks, suitable clothing, and everyone taking responsibility for safety, it's manageable.

Heat illness is preventable.

Deaths from heat stroke at work are tragedies that shouldn't happen.

If your workplace isn't managing heat appropriately, speak up. Your life and the lives of your coworkers depend on working safely in heat, not just pushing through regardless of conditions.

Heat kills, but it doesn't have to.