Taking the heat off: A thought for workers toiling at sweltering sites

Peak summer is also peak production time, but the mandated SOPs and heat action plans offer little respite

With the summer sun blazing across construction sites and infrastructure projects, those toiling under its scorching rays bear its harshest brunt.

According to a study by the Indian Institute of Public Health, Ahmedabad, nearly 60 per cent of construction workers battle mild to severe heat-related symptoms during the summer months. This challenge intensifies as the heatwave season coincides with peak production and construction activities ahead of monsoon, when infrastructure projects come to a standstill.

Some large infrastructure companies Business Standard spoke with said they have a standard operating procedure (SOP) for heatwave prevention among their on-site staff, including labour. This