Heat related illness among workers is a serious issue, not only for the workers health, but also for employers having to brunt the direct and indirect costs of the incidence. A recent article by Safety and Health Magazine has outlined some of the statistics around the costs of heat stress in the workplace.
Heat stress incidences are preventable but still affect millions and account for 8,500 deaths each year across the globe, with this number expected to rise to an estimated 59,000 by 2050. Each case of heat stress has been estimated to cost companies around $79,081 per incidence, which includes workers compensation, loss of productivity, missed workdays, hospitalisation, and treatment.
With no standardised or governed practice, businesses are left mostly to their own devices and expected to create their own protocols in order to eliminate heat stress from the job. In order to combat heat stress cases, organisations are now taking advantage of devices and software, such as the MX3 hydration testing system and portal, to help reduce the burden of heat stress and look after their workers. This helps employers protect their workers and protect themselves financially; an extremely small investment for the safety of those involved.