Heat stress is a killer! Exposure to heat can cause many types of problems in the body. The worst is death. The most serious threat heat can cause is heat stroke. You also have the lesser-known evils; heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat rash. There are precautions you can take when temperatures rise high. Let’s take a look at some risk factors for heat illness.
High temperatures and humidity mixed is a deadly combination. When direct sun exposure and no wind or breeze are added, you can find yourself in a real emergency. If working in the sun and your job requires heavy physical labor, you could find yourself in a “world of hurt”. When you have been in a cooler environment for a period of time, then a heat wave hits, and you could experience heat illness.
There are so many variations of heat that can cause problems for us humans. If you are someone who normally is only a caffeine drinker like sodas and tea, your water intake is actually going to be too low as most caffeinated drinks are diuretics. This is not to say these drinks will cause dehydration. They are drinks that will slow you down in drinking water. And that could potentially cause you to become dehydrated.
In a work environment, there are many jobs that require you to wear clothing that is fire-retardant or waterproof. These types of materials will block the body’s ability to cool off and sometimes it feels like you are cooking from the inside out. Know what clothing you wear and how much time you need to work in environments that could cause overheating.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion
Here is a quick list of symptoms you need to be on the lookout for when the heat index rises:
- Headaches, Dizziness, or Fainting
- General Weakness and Wet Skin
- Irritability or Confusion
- Thirst, Nausea, or Vomiting
Symptoms of Heat Stroke
Here is a quick list of symptoms you need to be on the lookout for heat stroke:
- Confusion
- Unable to Think Clearly
- Collapse or Passout
- Seizures and Convulsions
- Sweating Stops
How Do I Prevent Heat Illness?
I am so glad you asked that question. In a work environment, your company should have an established heat illness prevention program. In that program, they should have an area that provides training about the hazards that lead to heat stress and how to prevent them.
Along with having a heat illness prevention program, you should also make sure your company is providing plenty of water for employees to drink. At home, make sure you and your family are drinking water along with other drinks that will replace the electrolytes your body is losing. Most adults will need to have about one pint of water per hour. No, not a pint of beer… Although that sounds really good right about now.
You can do some other things to help prevent heat-related illnesses. You can modify work schedules and arrange for water breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas. You can decrease workloads for a short period of time and then gradually increase them over time as people become acclimatized. You should also designate someone to monitor conditions and protect workers who are at risk of heat stress. Finally, consider protective clothing that has some type of cooling system.
More Protection For Workers
The best way you can prevent heat-related illness is to know the signs and symptoms of heat illnesses. You then take that knowledge and use it to monitor both yourself and those working around you. Another great way you can protect yourself and others are through the use of the buddy system. Block out and direct exposure to sun and heat. Drink plenty of fluids and drink often. I would say to drink at least every fifteen minutes or so.
Okay, listen up a second. Everyone is different, so know yourself so you can protect yourself. I almost forgot to mention that it is also a good idea to limit the use of alcohol and drinks with caffeine. Finally, wear light-colored clothing that is also lightweight and somewhat loose-fitting. This all sounds simple and it is. Yet, each year we about people who die because of heat-related illnesses.
So What Do I Do When Someone Shows Signs Of Heat-Related Illness?
The first thing you should do is ask the person if they are okay. Make sure you look at them and if they look as though they might fall out or pass out, ask them to take a break and move into a shady or air-conditioned area. Call for help if the person seems confused, not alert, or unresponsive.
Once the person has been moved to a cooler environment, you can continue to cool them by removing outer clothing, having a fan blowing on the person, misting the device, apply ice bags or towels. You should also make sure they are taking in a good amount of fluids. I want to leave you with a quick video I created called, “Beat The Heat”.
That’s it for this Weeks Safety Share on Heat Stress. If you live here in Washington State, make sure you exercise extreme caution as the heat index begins to rise. The rest of the world is already in much higher heat. But that doesn’t mean you guys should slack off. Definitely do not slack off! Heat illness can and will sneak up on you if you are not vigilant.