Are there risk factors that make workers more susceptible to heat-related illness? Although personal medical conditions or lifestyle habits can make workers more vulnerable to heat-related illness, one of the most significant factors increasing the risk of heat illness is failing to give workers time to gradually get used to working in hot and humid conditions. OSHA found that almost half of heat-related deaths occur on a worker's first day on the job, and more than 70 percent occur during the first week New, temporary, or existing employees who start new work activities in the heat should work shorter workdays with more frequent rest breaks during their first 1-2 weeks. They should work only 20 percent of the normal scheduled duration on their first day and increase this duration by another 20 percent on each subsequent day until they are performing a normal schedule. Visit OSHA's website for more information on how to safely build worker tolerance to increased heat stress exposure and how to identify and treat signs of heat illness. Adblock test (Why?)