Heat Safety Reminder for the Scenario:
About Heat Illness
The body’s natural way to regulate temperature is to increase its heart rate and sweat. This helps keep the body’s core temperature from rising to unhealthy levels.
When outdoor and indoor temperatures rise, a worker’s core body temperature may also begin to rise.
Heat illness develops when these mechanisms are not enough to keep the core body temperature from rising. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill due to heat exposure in the workplace.
Hazardous heat exposure can occur indoors or outdoors and during any season, not only during heat waves. Heat exposure may result in serious illness or even death, both of which are preventable.
Risk Factors
These are both the work environment and the type of work you are doing.
The temperature, humidity, length of time close to heat sources, and direct sunlight are all factors to pay attention to in the work environment.
In addition, the physical exertion or workload required for your job, being unaccustomed to or not used to working in the heat, and the clothing or protective equipment you wear can contribute to your risk for heat illness
Scenario:
Imagine a disaster site in Rockaway, NY during a summer heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 90°F.
The workers: A crew of experienced volunteer, along with a few new volunteers, are involved in strenuous activities like framing and roofing.
The challenge: The combination of high temperatures, physical labor, and lack of acclimatization for new workers increases the risk of heat-related illnesses.
Tom started a new volunteer job as a roofer. Your organization did not have a formal plan to protect new volunteers from heat-related illness although there was plentiful water, ice, and Gatorade available at the site. The worker felt fine during his first two days of work. His third day on the job was slightly warmer, with a high temperature of about 86°F and relative humidity of 57%, for a heat index of 90°F.
In the afternoon, the worker told his co-workers he felt hot and sick.
What actions will you take?
He climbed down from the roof and went to sit by himself in the sun. When his co-workers checked on him a few minutes later, he had symptoms of heat stroke.
After 30 minutes the volunteer is still exhibiting symptoms of heat exhaustion,
What do you do?
I would tell Tom to take the day to rest and, if needed an another day. Instead of being in the sun I would urge him to go ideally indoors with AC but, if not possible, somewhere with shade.
If after being indoors/shade for a bit drinking, electrolights like gatorade and Tom still did not feel good, I would urge him to go to urgent care/ER.
Make sure he has PPE removed, move him to a shaded cool area and mist if available, continue to provide drinks with electrolytes. Seek medical help.
To help Tom, I would move him away from the Sun immediately and take him to a cooler place then call emergency services. While they get there, I would grab some clean rags and drench it with cold water to try to cool his body down. I would also provide him some water and tell him to lay down.
I would tell Tom to sit in a cooled shaded area making sure he was staying hydrated by giving him water. If after 30 minutes he was still exhibiting symptoms of a heat stroke I would call the ambulance or a doctor.
This scenario was based on an actual real life situation. Real Outcome
He was taken to a hospital where he died. Scattered clouds may have reduced the radiant temperature somewhat but reconstruction showed a wet-bulb globe temperature of 82°F based on data from a nearby airport. Lessons to learn from this case:
Protect new workers during their first two weeks on the job. Make sure they take plenty of rest breaks and drink enough fluids.
Never leave workers alone when they complain of heat-related symptoms. Their condition can worsen quickly! Take them to a cool location and provide first aid. Even a brief delay in first aid can make the difference between life and death.
Temperatures do not have to be extremely hot to cause heat stroke in workers. Remember, total heat stress is a combination of environmental heat and workload. Air temperatures in the 80s (°F) are high enough to result in a Heat Index value of 90°F. They are also high enough to kill some workers.
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.
First, I would either help him myself or send a new volunteer who also needs a bit of a break from the strenuous activity. I would pull him aside to a shelter away from the heat from the sun. I would take off the extra layers of clothes and try to keep him as bare as possible and then I would try to keep him cool using the water, ice and mini fan (assuming we have brought some). Everything needs to be done with caution and I would tell him to calm down and stop volunteering for the day until he feels better.
In this situation, I would speak and move Tom to a room with A/C to prevent him from collapsing. If he is still unwell, I would consider sending him home for the day so he could get check up at the hospital.
During and after Tom leaves the site I would ensure he leaves with water, ice or Gatorade to prevent him from overheating again.