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As spring comes to an end and summer moves in, the dangers of heat stress and heat exhaustion move in. Understanding heat illness makes a difference in the care and prevention of heat related issues. Heat stress occurs when the body temperature climbs above 100 degrees F.

Who is at risk?

• Anyone who is doing physical labor in warm conditions
• Anyone working in High humidity
• Anyone who isn’t properly hydrated
• Older workers
• Anyone working in direct sunlight
• Anyone working around equipment that gives off heat
• Anyone who has had a previous problem with a heat illness
• Certain people who are on certain medications
• Anyone with high blood pressure
• Anyone who is overweight
• Anyone wearing clothing or PPE that retains heat

What are the symptoms?

Early stages:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Heavy sweating
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea or vomitting
• Heat rash, especially on the upper chest and neck area or in the groin or elbow creases.

Later, extreme serious stages:

• Confusion
• Delirium
• Dry skin (body has lost all moisture and isn’t sweating any more)
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness

The best way to deal with heat related illnesses is to keep the body temperature down. There are several ways to do this:

• Wear lightweight, light-color, breathable clothing.
• Protect the skin from direct sunlight
• Work in the cooler hours if possible
• Provide shade
• Drink lots of water (avoid caffeinated beverages or beverages with a lot of sugar or sweetners)
• Don’t eat heavy meals until after the work is done.
• Shield from equipment that gives off heat or move it away from the work area

Treating Heat Stress

• Move the person to a shaded area
• Loosen all clothing
• Hydrate slowly (when the body is close to shut down it will not be able to absorb liquids properly. Too much to fast can do more harm than good)
• If the later stages are present, immediately call 911