Preventing Heat-Related Illness on the Jobsite
As summer temperatures climb across Canada, PTW is reinforcing its focus on safety by addressing a risk that, while often underestimated, can carry serious—and even fatal—consequences: heat-related illness. In field environments where exposure to sun, heat, and physical exertion is unavoidable, PTW’s proactive measures are a reminder that no risk is too small when it comes to worker health and safety.
PTW’s Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) team has strengthened protocols aimed at preventing heat stress, heat exhaustion, and exertional heat stroke—conditions that can escalate quickly without intervention. Daily hazard assessments now include environmental heat factors, measured using tools such as the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index and the Humidex scale, allowing crews to anticipate and mitigate exposure risks in real-time.
Education remains a cornerstone of PTW’s approach. All employees receive targeted training on recognizing the early signs of heat-related illness and responding appropriately. This is coupled with acclimatization plans to help new or returning workers build up their tolerance to high temperatures under controlled conditions. Supervisors and healthcare professionals closely monitor this process, reducing the risk of severe outcomes through a focus on prevention and preparedness.
PTW also emphasizes hydration, nutrition, and rest as frontline defences. Electrolyte intake, wise food choices, and scheduled recovery periods are integrated into daily workflows, especially during peak temperature hours. Shaded rest areas, personal cooling resources, and mobile hydration stations are provided across job sites, reinforcing that comfort is not a luxury—it’s a critical safety measure.
Supervisors are also trained to recognize the first signs of heat stress, and team members are encouraged to speak up without hesitation. Creating this shared responsibility ensures that safety isn’t seen as just another policy, but a constant, lived priority on every job site.
In environments where the slightest oversight can lead to serious consequences, PTW’s message is clear: all risks matter. Whether it’s working under the sun or operating heavy equipment, safety isn’t conditional. It’s a constant.
About PTW:
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, PTW Energy Services is the largest solutions provider in Western Canada, with the highest market share of electrical and instrumentation (E&I) maintenance services, as well as construction and fabrication capabilities. Initially rooted in Western Canada, our operations have expanded nationwide, and today, we operate across four provinces and the Northwest Territories.
Our branch network is supported by our construction workforce, which provides us with the competitive advantage to take on projects of all sizes and meet diverse client requirements. Our workforce ranges from 1,900 to 2,100 skilled workers, enabling us to scale up and down to meet our customers’ needs.
We are also a Canadian leader in customized self-frame, rigid frame, and pre-engineered building solutions, which we manufacture in our world-class 212,000 sq ft complex in Rocky View County, AB. This complex produces approximately 10,000 tons of structural steel and 600 metal building packages annually. We fabricate, erect and integrate customized packages all in one facility, saving time and costs.
For further information, please contact:
Laryssa Lesinszki, Marketing and Communications Manager, PTW Energy Services
Tel: +1 403.247.5766; llesinszki@ptwenergy.com
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