Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses

It s important that you and your co-workers know how to recognize the syn toms of heat-related illnesses. By recognizing the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and knowing how to prevent and control them and respond to their effects, you can help make everyone s jobs more safe and injury free. 

When your body heats up faster than it can cool itself, mild to severe illnesses may develop. Air temperature, humidity, and clothing can increase the risk of developing heat illnesses. So can age, gender, weight, physical fitness, nutrition, alcohol or drug use, or pre-existing diseases like diabetes. 

Strenuous activity can lead to a skin rash, stomach cranes, fatigue, or dizziness. If this happens, the victim should immediately seek rest in a cool, shady place, drink lots of water, and repeatedly wet and dry the skin. 

If the symptoms increase to excessive sweating cold, moist, pale, or flushed skin thirst extreme fatigue headache nausea or a rapid pulse, the victim may be 

Severe heat illness can lead to a heatstroke. This can be fatal or lead to permanent brain damage if the victim does not receive immediate medical treatment. Unfortunately there s little warning that a victim is about to reach this crisis stage. 

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Nurses and other health care providers can assist in preventing heat-related illnesses and deaths by disseminating community prevention messages to persons at high risk (e.g., the elderly and persons with preexisting medical conditions) using a variety of communication techniques. They may also establish emergency plans that include provision of access to artificially cooled environments. Case Study 17.4 describes a case of mortality and the lessons learned in a heat wave in Milwaukee in 1995. 

OSHA launched a national outreach initiative to educate workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors in the heat and steps needed to prevent heat-related illnesses. 

Heat Illness OSHA-NIOSH Heat Illness Info Sheet Protecting Workers from Heat Illness—At times, workers may be required to work in hot environments for long periods. This fact sheet provides information to employers on measures they should take to prevent heat-related illnesses and death (OSHA 3438—2011). 

If you re working outdoors, you re at risk for heat-related illnesses that can cause serious medical problems and even death, said Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis. But heat illness can be prevented. This Labor Department campaign will reach across the country with a very simple message — water, rest and shade. Each year, thousands of outdoor workers experience heat illness, which often manifests as heat exhaustion. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which killed more than 30 workers last year. 

Things you can do to prevent difficulties from heat related illnesses and injuries... 

From Equation (18-1), note that convection C can be positive or negative and add or remove heat fi om the body. Convection will remove heat (see Equation (18-2)) when the air temperature is lower than that of skin. Convection will add heat when the air temperature is greater than that of the skin. If convection adds heat, other heat transfer methods must remove heat to maintain a constant body temperature and prevent heat-related injury or illness. 

Generally, the participation of youngsters in organized sports or other physical activities is considered to be desirable from a health point of view. Such behavior helps prevent the couch potato syndrome and obesity in children that have become health concerns in recent years. However, vigorous exercise in hot, humid weather can cause dehydration, which can lead to mild or severe heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. 

Prevention is a much more effective way to deal with heat stress than treatment of heat related illness after it occurs. 

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