Employee Fainted due to Heat Exhaustion

Steven Cesare, Ph.D.

A business owner from Florida contacted me the other day and told me that one of his field employees was just taken to the local hospital in response to his fainting on a job site. The temperature was 95 degrees with humidity above 90% at the job site. Obviously concerned, the owner wanted some specific direction about how to handle this situation correctly.

First, I told the owner to go to the hospital and be with his employee until it was appropriate to leave. Many companies rhetorically state that “our employees are our greatest asset.” Being with an unconscious employee is one way to prove that rhetoric is real. The owner should be there to show personal support to the employee when he awakens, answers any questions that medical staff may pose, and provide direct information to the employee’s family throughout this incident. The owner complied with this recommendation and was there when the employee opened his eyes several hours after the event. Needless to say, the employee was grateful to see the owner at his hospital bedside.

Second, I suggested the owner conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the event, including the specific tasks the employee was performing, did the employee drink enough water that day, did the employee have a cell phone, was there shade available on the job site for the employee to cool his body temperature, did co-workers notice any physical symptoms (e.g., cramps, nausea, dizziness) in the employee prior to the fainting spell, were any comments made by the employee regarding his health or well-being, and so on. Naturally, these actions are recommended to identify any potential cause that could be prevented in the future, thereby minimizing reoccurrence.

As recommended, the owner conducted the investigation by interviewing relevant employees (e.g., Crew Leader, peers, and the employee himself) and revisiting the job site, inspecting the equipment and vehicles, and confirming all emergency protocols were in order. The results showed procedural compliance, with the employee simply saying that all of a sudden he felt light-headed, dizzy, and fell down. Next thing he knew he was in the hospital and his owner was there at his bedside.

Third, I proposed that the owner implement some proactive measures, company-wide, to reduce potential reoccurrence. For example,

Hold Crew Leaders accountable for ensuring sufficient water is available for all crew members on each truck;
Make sure that all field employees drink a quart of water per hour of work;
Verify that all vehicle air conditioning units work properly;
Institute two mandatory paid 10-minute rest breaks whenever the heat index exceeds 85 degrees;
Make sure all rest breaks are taken in a shaded area or the air-conditioned vehicle;
Instruct all employees to call 911 when an employee experiences heat illness; and
Begin training all field employees on heat-related illness and prevention.

If you have any questions or comments about this topic or anything else related to human resources, simply call me at (760) 685-3800.