Workplace NL is taking more questions of late from employers and workers concerned about working conditions affected by the extreme heat.

Some workers, like those in building and road construction, must work in the outdoors in all kinds of weather, including extreme heat, while others have to endure stuffy, hot conditions indoors in buildings with no air conditioning or proper ventilation.

Jane Eustace, Manager of Prevention Services with Workplace NL, says many workplaces rely on a work/rest schedule to keep employees comfortable and safe.

She says the warmer it is, the more time workers need to rest. She says workers should go to a cool place or shaded area to take break. She says the work/rest schedule is mainly used in outdoor work environments in temperature extremes, and not necessarily in an office setting.