Working in hot temperatures – recommendations from the Occupational Health Department

Hot weather can be unpleasant for those working at the Institut Pasteur, particularly in buildings with no air conditioning or subject to air-conditioning outages, especially while wearing masks.

Special care needs to be taken if the temperature of your surroundings exceeds 30°C.

Here are some basic guidelines:

• make sure you keep up your fluid intake (water, tea, etc.) – drink a glass every 15 minutes if possible, even if you don't feel particularly thirsty,

• splash cold water on your face and arms to cool yourself down,

• avoid heavy, rich meals and alcohol,

• if you feel unwell, if you work outside, make sure you protect yourself (particularly your neck) from the sun.

The Occupational Health Department should be informed of anyone who continues to feel unwell even after moving to cooler surroundings (ext. 81 36 or 37 37 in the event of an emergency).