Heat and Cold Hazards

HEAT AND COLD HAZARDS

Hot Weather Injury Avoidance

Heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body is not able to properly cool itself. While the body normally cools itself by sweating, during extreme heat, this might not be enough. In these cases, a person’s body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down. This can cause damage to the brain

and other vital organs. Working in hot environments can rapidly escalate into life threatening situations if personnel are not monitored, rested and hydrated. Air temperature and the lack of humidity contribute to heat related injury.

Wear Sunscreen:

Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated.

Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of

SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out. Continue to reapply it according to the package directions.

Drink Plenty of Fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

Replace Salt and Minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.

A bad option for hydration

What about energy drinks?

Drinks with caffeine, sugar and taurine have become very popular. Inaccurate information as well as advertising may make you believe these are safe or even preferred for athletes.

But these drinks are neither.

In fact, if an athlete becomes dehydrated, drinks with caffeine and taurine can cause further dehydration, increasing the risk for kidney damage or cardiac abnormalities – possibly resulting in emergency room visits, hospital stays and even life-threatening illness. As a professional radio communicator, you are not helping yourself or the team if you get pumped up for shift. Instead, you may be introducing a cascade of events that results in not only being Demob, but also includes an emergency room visit.

Hypothermia Avoidance

Exposure to cold weather without PPE can result in sub normal temperature (Hypothermia) which may result in physical and mental changes to the victim. These changes are first observed as chilling and shivering later followed by weakness, fatigue, lack of coordination and mental deficits. Ultimately exposure will lead to unconsciousness, cardiac dysrhythmia and death.

Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C)
Mild Hypothermia is 95-90 degrees F (35-32 degrees C)
Moderate hypothermia is 90-82 degrees F (32-28 degrees C)
Severe hypothermia is <82 degrees F (<28 degrees C)

Wind can accelerate cold stress.

Immersion in Water further accelerates heat loss.

All personnel must be equipped with appropriate garments for weather conditions. Layering is most effective for cold climate and should include dry, wicking and water impermeable, preferably breathable outer layer. Gloves and hats are needed.

Safety Officers shall ensure that adequate caloric needs to meet demands of cold stress in addition to work needs are provided. Warm fluids add hydration as well as thermal units. Any personnel displaying uncoordinated or “mental slowness” shall be assessed and rehabilitated as needed.

Any personnel submerged in water of less than 60 degrees or any soaking event in air temperatures below 55 degrees will need to be evaluated and changed into dry clothing.

Any suspected case of hypothermia will be reported to medical staff. Patient/victim stabilization will begin immediately to prevent further heat loss. This may include, immediate drying, warmed fluids administered orally if alert, warm packs applied to axillae or groin. In moderate to severe hypothermia a blanket is not sufficient to rewarm a victim. Skin to skin contact with a warm individual(s) in a sleeping bag or blanket in a dry environment is preferable to no action at all if other resources are not available.

Avoid massaging hypothermic individuals or exercising them. Move unconscious individuals gently.

Protect frozen, frostbitten extremities (fingers, toes, ears).

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