A 50-year-old man had been working as a social worker for 25 years. His job involved driving a vehicle and walking in residential neighborhoods to conduct Survivors Needs Intakes. While volunteering with your organization, the weather suddenly became hotter. On the second day of hot weather, this worker developed heat cramps and heat exhaustion.
What actions do you take?
Take him to a cooler space and give him a lot of fluid to drink. Call 911 and do not leave him alone.
Andrew Ling:
Make sure Tom drinks a lot of water to stay cool and during break, go to places with air conditioning and avoid sunlight for long periods. Water should be at a cooler temperature and not hot temperature to ensure his body will be coool. And if he has a heat illness, I would most likely call 9-1-1 for an ambulance or take him to an urgent care center like CityMD for treatment. If we ignore his warnings, his situation will be far worse.
to get him out of the heat right away, into AC or at least shade, have him rest, loosen up clothing, and sip water or electrolytes slowly.
I would take him to a cooler place and provide him cold water along with a cold rag. I’ll also call 911 just in case his conditions worsens
I would make sure he drinks lots of fluids and stay in a cool climate. If not better after 20 minutes I would have him see a doctor as soon as possible.
Ask that he take the rest of the day off and rest in cool place and drink plenty of fluid. If he is returning to work, ask that he does not conduct the intakes during the hottest times of the day. Continue to drink plenty of fluid with electrolytes, wear light clothing and sun protection. Rest from the heat in the car in AC as much as he can (maybe work only 3-4 houses at a time).
(I was going to edit my response from what I wrote but I cannot edit and reply to my response, unfortunately)
but from my response, it should be the “worker” and not “Tom”
Give him water and let in rest in a cool shaded area making sure someone was looking after him. If his condition worsen I would call for an ambulance.
This Scenario was created from a Real World situation shared by OSHA.
Real Outcome:
He was hospitalized for two days with acute kidney failure due to dehydration. His condition improved after intravenous fluid replacement.
Lessons to learn from this case:
Even experienced workers are vulnerable to heat-related illness when the weather becomes warmer. Throughout the first week of warmer conditions, treat all workers as if they need to adapt to working in the heat. Take extra precautions to protect them from heat-related illnesses.
Make sure workers drink enough fluids(opens in a new tab) during warm or hot weather.
I would send another volunteer/social worker to take his place driving the vehicle and conducting interviews in his place.
I would check on the 50-year-old man to see how he is feeling and ensure he is taken to a cooler space to rest and hydrate. After, I would tell him to take the rest of the day off and insist that he receive a check-up at the nearest hospital.
If it was in the car: Immediately pull the car to the side, somewhere away from direct sun. Under the shade, I would blast the AC and take his seatbelt off as well as his clothes. I would try to keep him calm while cooling him off. If he seems to get worse, I would immediately call 911. I would also make sure he takes a day off and focuses on recovering from the heat.
If it was when we were walking: I would get him into a building with AC, and if there isn’t one I would pull him into the shade and away from the sun. I would then fan him and provide him with cooling items like ice. If there was anyone nearby, I would ask them to get some water. If he seems to be getting worse, I would immediately call for an ambulance.