A ‘second summer’ forecast includes risks of high heat, wildfires

State College, PA — The threats of high heat and wildfires are expected to persist well into autumn, AccuWeather says – meaning workers could be at risk.

The weather forecast service is predicting a warmer-than-usual fall season – or a “second summer” – for nearly all the country, “as the transition from summery to fall-like weather takes place slower and much later than usual.”

Through October and November, temperatures up to 3 degrees or more above historical averages could stick around in parts of the Northeast, Midwest and Rockies.

OSHA and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training have tips for employers to help keep workers safe in the heat. Among them:

• Tailor heat-related illness prevention plans to the jobsite’s specific circumstances.
• Educate workers on the differences between the symptom of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and how to treat them.
• Ensure workers are properly hydrated. They should drink 8 ounces of water three to four times an hour. For work lasting longer than two hours, provide sports drinks or other beverages with electrolytes.
• Provide workers with shaded areas where they can rest.

AccuWeather forecasters are also expecting wildfire activity to increase in September.

The service’s wildfire forecast is predicting 40,000 to 50,000 fires nationwide, which could burn 6 million to 8 million acres. That includes 1.5 million to 2.5 million acres in California alone. Last year, wildfires in the state burned about 1 million acres.

For workers exposed to wildfire smoke, donning an N95 respirator isn’t enough, says the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. The department advises employers and workers to:

• Move work inside when possible.
• Provide portable HEPA filters in enclosed areas.
• Reschedule work at a time with less smoke.
• Avoid or reduce work that creates additional dust, fumes or smoke.
• Relocate work to places with lower smoke levels.
• Provide additional rest times.