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WorkSafeBC: Metro Vancouver employers need to protect indoor and outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses

Published on: August 11, 2025

Employers must assess the risk of heat stress in their workplaces and implement effective controls to protect workers

WorkSafeBC is reminding Metro Vancouver and Lower Mainland employers to keep their workers safe as temperatures rise. A heat warning issued by Environment Canada warns that temperatures may reach 33 degrees Celsius today and tomorrow. Employers have a responsibility to protect workers from the risk of heat stress. If not recognized and treated early, heat stress can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat stress is a risk for both indoor and outdoor workers. Between 2020 and 2024, WorkSafeBC accepted 315 heat-related injury claims, with the highest numbers in transportation, public works, construction, food services, and film and television production.

“During the hot summer months, the risk of heat stress increases in indoor workplaces without air conditioning and at most outdoor worksites,” said Todd McDonald, Head of Prevention Services at WorkSafeBC. “Heat stress can lead to serious health problems, but it’s a preventable injury.”

Employers must assess the risk of heat stress in their workplaces and implement effective controls to protect workers. Depending on the level of risk, this may include a heat stress mitigation plan that provides education and training on how to recognize symptoms and respond appropriately.

If employers are unable to effectively control the risks from extreme heat to keep their workers safe, WorkSafeBC advises them to stop work until conditions improve.

“Heat stress isn’t caused by temperature alone,” added McDonald. “Environmental conditions such as humidity and radiant heat, the physical demands of the work, and individual risk factors — like underlying health conditions — all contribute. That’s why risk assessments and controls need to be tailored to specific worksite conditions.”

What employers can do:

  • Ensure that workers are engaged in discussions about heat-related hazards at the start of each workday.
  • Establish cooling areas with shade and water.
  • Determine appropriate work-rest cycles; when a worker feels ill, it may be too late.
  • Rotate work activities or use additional workers to reduce exposure.
  • Provide air conditioning or increased ventilation to remove hot air.
  • Monitor heat conditions and require workers not to work alone.
  • Ensure there is adequate first-aid coverage and that emergency procedures are in place.

What workers can do:

  • Drink plenty of water (one glass every 20 minutes).
  • Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabric, such as cotton.
  • Wear sunscreen and reapply it liberally throughout the day.
  • Take rest breaks in a cool, well-ventilated area.
  • Do more strenuous physical work activities during the coolest parts of the day, before 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m.
  • Know your personal risk factors, such as medications and any pre-existing conditions.
  • Check the signs and symptoms for heat stress for yourself and co-workers; speak to your supervisor about the risk of heat and understand the emergency procedures if you do not feel well, especially if you are working alone.

Workers and employers with questions or concerns about working in the heat can call WorkSafeBC’s Prevention Information Line at 1.888.621.7233.

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About WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC engages workers and employers to prevent injury, disease, and disability in B.C. When work-related injuries or diseases occur, WorkSafeBC provides compensation and support to people in their recovery, rehabilitation, and safe return to work. We serve 2.7 million workers and 285,000 employers across B.C.

For more information, contact:

Media Relations, WorkSafeBC
Email: media@worksafebc.com
Tel: 604.276.5157