Heat on the job is not a comfort issue, it is a health risk. Recognise the symptoms, know the right response and apply the prevention rules.
Muscle cramps from salt and fluid loss.
The body is losing too much fluid and salt.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY! CALL 112
Look for confusion, dry red skin, headache, dizziness. When in doubt: stop, cool down, report.
See signs of a heat illness in yourself or a colleague? Report it to your crew chief or on-site contact.
In case of heat stroke: the faster the cooling, the higher the chance of survival. No half measures.
Drink before you feel thirsty: 125 to 250 ml every 15 minutes during heavy exertion. Cool water 12–15 °C. Avoid alcohol, coffee and sugary drinks. Eat 3 meals to make up for salt loss.
Plan heavy tasks before 11:00 and after 16:00. During a heat wave: shorter shifts, more breaks.
Seek shade as much as possible (tent, parasol, tarp) and a cool rest area. Wear light, breathable, light-coloured clothing. Change soaked clothes. Use at least SPF 30+, reapply after heavy sweating and at least every 2 hours.
Look out for each other. Never work alone. When in doubt: stop, cool down, drink, report. In case of heat stroke (T > 40 °C, confusion, no more sweat): call 112 immediately.
With the official 112 BE app you call police, fire or ambulance in one tap. Emergency services also see your exact location right away. Crucial on a festival site or in a venue where you do not know the address by heart. Free on the App Store and Google Play.
REPORT IT TO YOUR CREW CHIEF IMMEDIATELY IF YOU SEE SIGNS OF A HEAT ILLNESS.
Sources: Belgian Code on Well-being at Work, Book V Title 1 (Thermal environmental factors); Mediwet — Heat and prevention (2016), Thermal environmental factors for outdoor work (2017), Working in cold/heat (2018); RMI heat wave definition. Hands 4 Events — Risk Analysis v5.