As summer temperatures soar, it’s hard to tell if the hottest place is on the blistering pavement of the new car lot, or under the hood with the heated parts of a metal engine. Heat makes every job harder, and when you’re in heat every day, it takes a toll on your morale and your body.
Heat is the number one weather related killer, and a few groups are at high risk of heat related illness or even death, including all people who work in hot environments. Knowing how to identify symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat illness, and how to deal with the heat are essential to summer operations.
Preventing Work-Related Heat Illness and Heat Exhaustion
Every National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) can issue Excessive Heat Outlooks and Excessive Heat Watches in advance of heat waves. It’s a good idea to pay attention to these announcements because the warnings usually give you 3 to 7 days advanced notice of heat waves. This gives you a little time to plan ahead.
Look at the schedule and cut-out as many unessential activities in hot environments as possible during a heat wave. Some organizations even shift schedules around for those activities to take place during the coolest possible time of day- or even night. Add more breaks to the schedule. Plan for individuals at high risk to stay in the coolest possible places, and NOAA recommends that during a heat wave, everyone should spend more time in air conditioned places.
During the Heat Wave
It is a good idea to reiterate heat safety at the beginning of every shift during a heat wave, and also go through your checklist to make sure all tools are in place to support workers in hot environments. This is a good time to discuss preventive measures, heat symptoms, and what to do in emergency situations. Don’t let workers work alone in hot environments. Instead, use a buddy system and encourage workers to talk to each other and watch out for each other.
Water
In a hot environment, you should drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated, low-sugar fluids to help keep your body cool (water is most recommended because many beverage ingredients can alter your body’s chemistry balance and actually make it more dangerous to work in the heat). Drink plenty of fluids even if you don't feel thirsty- it is better to drink small amounts frequently, as opposed to larger amounts less often. However, persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid restrictive diets or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before consuming increased amounts of fluids.
Shade and Rest
During extreme heat, workers should avoid being in the sun as much as possible because sunburns and solar radiation can worsen heat- induced conditions. Workers should rest frequently in shady areas if they are working outdoors, and in cooler areas if they are working in un-air conditioned buildings.
What Are Heat Exhaustion Symptoms?
Symptoms can start to take place even before workers are aware that they are being affected. These are some early warning signs.
• headaches, dizziness, fainting
• weakness and wet skin
• irritability or confusion
• thirst, nausea
• muscle cramping
With any of these symptoms, you would need to cool off, rest, drink water and give your body some time to recover. If you feel better, you can go back to work. If you don’t feel better, talk to your supervisor right away.
The effects of heat illness can be accumulative, meaning that over an exposed period of time, or repeated exposures, a body’s defenses can wear down and a victim can progress to more severe symptoms rapidly. Other vulnerable groups include people who aren’t used to working in heat or doing heavy work, not physically fit, or overweight, drink alcohol or take drugs, wear heavy, dark, or tight clothing, and also workers who use personal protective equipment.
Symptoms of the next level of heat exhaustion- including heat stroke
• panting
• vomiting
• confusion, unable to think clearly, pass out, collapse, or seizures
• your body may stop sweating- which is extremely serious
Not being used to working in heat is a big problem. Most of the people who died from heat stroke in the past few years were in their first few days on the job or were working during a heat wave. If you haven’t worked in
hot weather for a week or more, your body needs time to adjust. You need to take more breaks and not do too much strenuous work during your first weeks on the job.
Some health conditions can put you at greater risk of heat illness. These include diabetes, kidney and heart problems, pregnancy, and being overweight. If you have these, it would be good to talk to your doctor about the work you do and ask whether there are any special precautions you need to take.
What to Do in an Emergency
• Get medical help.
• Norify upper management.
• Move the person to a cooler place to rest in air conditioning or shade. Stay with the person.
• Give the person water as long as he/she is not losing consciousness or vomiting.
• Loosen the person’s clothing.
• Help cool the person. Fan the person, put ice packs on the person’s groin and underarms, or soak the person’s clothing with cool water.
Additional resources:
Center for Disease Control: Emergency Preparedness and Response, FAQ About Extreme Heat: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.asp
OSHA's Heat Prevention Lesson Plan :
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/osha_heattraining_guide_0411.pdf
Heat Wave: A Major Summer Killer
http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php
This Daily Checklist is from page 18 of OSHA's Heat Prevention Lesson Plan.
| WATER |
Is there plenty of fresh, cool drinking water located as close as possible to the workers? Are water coolers refilled throughout the day? |
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| SHADE |
Is there shade available for breaks and if workers need to recover?
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| TRAINING |
Do workers know the : Common signs and symptoms of heat illness? Proper precautions to prevent heat illness? Importance of accilimatization? Importance of drinking water frequently (even when they are not thirsty)? Steps to take is someone is having symptoms? |
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| EMERGENCIES |
Does everyone know who to notify if there is an emergency? Can workers explaing their location if they need to call an ambulance? Does everyone know who will provide first aid? |
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WORKER REMINDERS |
Drink water often Rest in the shade Report heat symptoms early Know what to do in an emergency |