Toronto – August 17, 2026 – As temperatures rise across Canada, heat stress is becoming an increasingly serious workplace health and safety concern. While summer heat can be uncomfortable for anyone, workers who spend long hours outdoors, in hot environments, or performing physically demanding work face a much greater risk.
Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to effectively balance heat gain and heat loss. The consequences can range from fatigue, heat rash, fainting and muscle cramps to heat exhaustion and potentially fatal heat stroke. The effects can also include reduced concentration and work performance, increasing the risk of workplace accidents and injuries.
“Every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of their shift,” says UFCW Canada National President Barry Sawyer. “As extreme heat becomes more common, employers must take heat stress seriously, provide appropriate prevention measures and ensure workers have the training, water, rest and protections they need to stay safe.”
Heat stress was a major topic at this year’s UFCW Canada National Defence Fund Convention, where representatives from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) delivered presentations on recognizing, preventing and responding to heat-related illness. Their message is particularly important for agricultural workers, who can face prolonged exposure to high temperatures while working outdoors, but heat stress is a concern across many of UFCW Canada’s core sectors, including food processing, warehousing, manufacturing, hospitality, health care and retail.
Prevention starts with understanding the risks. Workers need access to water and opportunities to rest and cool down, while employers should assess workplace heat using appropriate measures such as Humidex or Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), establish heat-response plans and ensure workers are properly acclimatized to hot conditions.
Most importantly, workers and co-workers need to recognize the warning signs. A worker experiencing heat stroke may no longer recognize what is happening to them, making intervention by co-workers critical. Immediate cooling and emergency medical attention can save a life.
UFCW Canada has a long-standing commitment to protecting workers’ health and safety and making sure every worker has the right to a safe workplace. Through education, advocacy, collective bargaining and strong health and safety representation, UFCW Canada continues to fight for stronger workplace protections and safer working conditions across the country. As new and emerging hazards such as extreme heat put workers at greater risk, UFCW Canada will continue to stand with members and advocate for the protections they need to stay safe on the job and return home safely to their families at the end of every shift.
Additional resources on extreme heat and heat stress
