"THE HEAT IS ON"

by Kara Martin, Safety Committee

Walter Winchell once said, "It's a sure sign of summer when the chair gets up when you do." Yes, it's that time of the year again when we need to be thinking about heat safety. Whether you work inside or outside, hot weather is a concern for us and our families.

Our bodies are equipped to respond quite adeptly to heat exposure. Humans must maintain a body temperature of 98.6 degrees. When we become overheated, our circulatory system goes to work. The heart begins to pump more blood, the veins enlarge to accommodate increased blood flow, and the blood flows to the capillaries. This gets the blood closer to the surface of the skin where it can secrete liquid that primarily contains sodium and chloride. Better known as sweat or perspiration. Once the perspiration is on the surface of the skin, it evaporates and cools the body. Unfortunately, if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees with high humidity, evaporation is hindered. The body can effectively deal with short exposures to heat, but prolonged periods can lead to heat disorders.

Heat disorders occur when the body is unable to reduce the heat with circulatory responses and perspiration, or by a chemical or salt imbalance occurring from too much sweating. This causes the temperature of the body's inner core to rise. Maintaining a stable temperature is essential for our body's systems to function. Sustained departure from our normal temperature can cause mild to serious illness. It is a good policy to know what the disorders are, the possible symptoms, and some basic first aid. The person experiencing these conditions may not experience all of the symptoms listed below, but this gives us a guideline for determining the severity of the situation.

Apply ointment and sterile dressings if breaking occurs. Sunburns can cause 2nd, and in rare instances 3rd degree burns. In those cases please seek a physicians care. Apply firm pressure or gently massage the area to alleviate the spasm. Drink small sips of water, but discontinue if nausea occurs. Move the victim out of the sun, lay the person down and loosen clothing, apply wet towels, and if possible move to an air-conditioned environment or provide a fan. Sips of water help, but discontinue if nausea occurs. It would also be wise to contact a physician for his/her recommendations. Always seek immediate medial attention. While waiting for the assistance follow the same steps listed for heat exhaustion, except the victim would not be given fluids.
 
Knowing what to do if we encounter a heat disorder is important. Equally important is exercising safety practices to prevent a problem. For those of us who work on the outside, some of those items might not be so easily accomplished. Our workers can't always be in air-conditioned surroundings, and the work by nature can be strenuous. Increased consumption of water, and eating light foods can be a big help. If your company provides coolers and ice, please fill up the cooler with water each day. Also, wearing loose fitting, light colored clothing is a smart choice. And don't forget the sunscreen and a hat.

We can't escape the heat, but we can be resourceful in how we deal with it. The heat is on to take care of each other and ourselves.

 

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