Safety
Working in the Heat in Queensland: What Workers and Supervisors Need to Know
There is no set temperature at which work must stop in Queensland. Here is what the law requires instead, how to spot heat illness early, what to do in an emergency and the practical controls that work on sites and in warehouses.
Reviewed for practical accuracy
Prepared by EDB Training Services, a nationally recognised Registered Training Organisation in Capalaba, Brisbane (RTO 32376).
Ask around any Queensland site in January and someone will tell you work has to stop at a certain temperature. The number changes depending on who you ask, and it doesn’t exist in work health and safety law.
What the law does require is more demanding than a single number. Employers have to manage heat like any other hazard, and that depends on the job, the conditions and the person doing the work.
Is there a maximum temperature for working in Queensland?
No. WorkSafe Queensland states there is no workplace exposure standard or limit for heat stress, and that a safe or unsafe limit based only on air temperature isn’t appropriate. Two people on the same site on the same day can face very different risks.
That doesn’t mean heat is optional to manage. WorkSafe is clear that all employers have a legal obligation to protect workers from heat-related illness under work health and safety laws. Some workplaces also have their own heat policies or agreements, so check what applies at yours.
What is heat stress?
Heat stress happens when your body can’t cool itself fast enough to hold a safe core temperature of around 37°C. Air temperature is only part of the picture. WorkSafe’s heat stress guidance groups the causes into three areas:
- The environment: temperature, humidity, radiant heat, direct sun and air movement
- The work: how hard it is, how long it goes for, what time of day it happens and what you’re wearing
- The person: acclimatisation, health, hydration, fitness, age, fatigue and certain medications
This is why a humid day doing heavy work on a roof can be more dangerous than a hotter, drier day doing light work in the shade. It’s also why new starters need particular attention. Someone who isn’t used to physical work in hot conditions is at greater risk than the experienced worker beside them.
What are the signs of heat illness?
Heat illness runs from uncomfortable to fatal, and the early signs are easy to brush off. WorkSafe describes these stages:
| Condition | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Heat rash | Red cluster of pimples or small blisters, often on the neck, upper chest and skin folds |
| Heat cramps | Muscle pain or spasms, usually in the abdomen, arms or legs |
| Dizziness and fainting | Light-headedness or collapse from a sudden drop in blood pressure |
| Heat exhaustion | Paleness, sweating, rapid heart rate, cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or fainting |
| Heatstroke | Staggering, confusion, a fit or collapse. Skin may be dry with no sweating |
Heat exhaustion can develop into heatstroke, and heatstroke is a medical emergency. Don’t rely on the “no sweating” sign, as it only shows up in some serious cases.
The hardest part on a real site is that people hide it. WorkSafe specifically warns that bravado can lead workers to conceal early symptoms. A supervisor who says “tell me if you feel crook, and nobody will give you grief for it” is doing real safety work.
Watch for the less dramatic signs too. Workers repeatedly exposed to moderate heat can get what WorkSafe calls a heat hangover: irritability, headaches, nausea, loss of appetite and lethargy late in a shift or after it.
What should you do if someone has heat illness?
Treat it as urgent. Call triple zero (000) early, and start cooling the person straight away without delaying that call. These steps follow the ANZCOR first aid guideline for heat-induced illness:
- Move them to shade or somewhere cool and lie them down.
- Loosen and remove excess clothing, including PPE.
- Cool them by the best means you have. Immersing the body from the neck down in cold water is the most effective method if it’s available.
- Otherwise combine methods: wet them with cold water, apply ice packs to the groin, armpits, cheeks, palms and soles, keep the skin moist and fan continuously.
- Give cool water to drink only if they are fully conscious and able to swallow.
- If they aren’t responding and aren’t breathing normally, start CPR.
Stay with them and keep checking their level of consciousness. Don’t send someone with symptoms to sit alone in a hot ute.
Where heat stroke is a risk, WorkSafe says the workplace’s emergency plan needs to include heat stroke procedures, and workers need to be trained in them. Sort this out before the first bad day, including where the ice and water are kept and how an ambulance would find your location.
How should employers manage heat at work?
Start by walking the job and asking the crew where the heat problems are. WorkSafe recommends considering past incidents, including when and under what circumstances they happened. Its free Heat Stress (Basic) Calculator gives a first-pass risk rating using factors such as temperature, humidity, clothing, sun exposure and work rate. It’s a starting point rather than a definitive assessment. If it shows an unacceptable risk, a more technical assessment by a competent person is needed.
Risk also changes through the year and through the shift, so an assessment done in winter won’t tell you much about February.
Most jobs need several of these controls working together:
- Change the timing. Do heavy work early in the morning or later in the afternoon rather than the middle of the day.
- Change the environment. Add shade, ventilation, fans or cooling, and insulate or shield hot surfaces.
- Reduce the physical load. Use mechanical aids, work at ground level where you can and cut down on climbing stairs and ladders.
- Provide a cool place to rest. Keep it as close to the work area as possible, and allow enough time to actually cool down.
- Keep cool water close. Encourage people to start the shift hydrated, drink small amounts often and replace electrolytes when sweating heavily.
- Pair people up. Trained workers can watch each other for symptoms. Workers on their own are at higher risk.
- Bring new people in gradually. Plan for anyone who isn’t acclimatised to the work, especially new starters.
WorkSafe also says training is required for workers likely to be working in hot environments. It should cover early symptoms, the importance of fluids, acclimatisation, first aid and how to assess yourself. A 10-minute toolbox talk before the first hot week is an easy place to start that conversation.
Is heat a problem indoors, in warehouses and on machinery?
Yes. The Safe Work Australia guide to working in heat names transport, postal and warehousing alongside construction as industries where workers could be at risk. Enclosed spaces, poor air movement and radiant heat from equipment can all add to the load, with or without direct sun.
The risk isn’t only heat illness. WorkSafe notes that heat can affect physical and mental performance, including complex tasks that need concentration, and can contribute indirectly to other incidents. It also cites research linking heatwaves to a 45 per cent increase in workers’ compensation claims in the Brisbane region.
That matters for anyone driving a forklift around pedestrians, operating an EWP or working near an open edge. Late in a hot shift, a lapse in concentration can do as much damage as the heat itself, so schedule your highest-risk tasks for the cooler part of the day where you can.
Can I take my long sleeves off when it’s hot?
Usually the better answer is to keep them on. WorkSafe says long work clothing doesn’t cause heat-related illness on its own, and that outdoor workers should wear long pants and collared, long-sleeved shirts. Outdoor workers generally receive five to 10 times more UV exposure each year than indoor workers.
Clothing and PPE can still trap heat, particularly impermeable gear. Lighter colours and lightweight fabrics help, and taking protective clothing off during breaks lets you cool down. Never remove required PPE while the hazard it protects against is still there. Raise the problem with your supervisor so the job can be changed instead.
Can I refuse to work if it’s too hot?
Possibly, but the test is the risk, not the temperature. Under section 84 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, a worker can stop or refuse work if they have a reasonable concern that doing it would expose them to a serious risk from an immediate or imminent exposure to a hazard. You must let your employer know as soon as you practicably can and stay available for suitable alternative work, which they can direct you to do if it’s safe and appropriate.
In practice, speak up early. Most heat problems can be fixed with a change of timing, a shade structure, a proper break or a swap of tasks. If it can’t be sorted out, your health and safety representative may be able to help, and WorkSafe Queensland can be asked to assist.
If you are planning summer training for your team, EDB Training Services (RTO 32376) delivers White Card, Working at Heights, EWP and forklift courses at our Capalaba training centre in Brisbane. See upcoming course dates or call 07 3822 7362.
