Protection against Heat Stress with new Awareness Tool

Toronto – May 23, 2013 – Just in time for summer, a new Heat Stress Awareness Tool is now available to all UFCW Canada activists and members to raise awareness of the dangers posed by hot and humid weather at work. Offered through the National Workplace Rights Committee, the tool is freely available in both English and French to assist UFCW Canada activists and their colleagues in assessing workplace temperature and humidity, identifying heat stress symptoms, and taking necessary steps to avoid injury or death while working in warm weather conditions.

The new Heat Stress tool is especially important in the context of global climate change, as workers are now experiencing some of the hottest summers on record and therefore require increased protection to prevent occupational heat stress. UFCW Canada members who are most at risk of experiencing heat stress symptoms include those employed in bakeries, food processing, canneries, restaurants, laundries, and farms, where temperatures can rise to extreme levels in the summer months.

"UFCW Canada is fully committed to helping members fight the hazards of workplace heat stress. As Canada’s leading voice for workers, we constantly strive to provide members with the resources and knowledge they need to work as healthy and safe as possible, and to prevent unnecessary injuries from occurring," says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. "Members and activists can use this resource to protect themselves and their colleagues from dangerous heat stress symptoms, and our hope is that it will enable members and their co-workers to stay hydrated, alert, and safe while working in warm weather conditions," Brother Hanley adds.

To find out more about how you can access the Heat Stress Awareness Tool, activists are encouraged to contact their Local Union Presidents.