The following heat stress prevention tips provided by CNA Insurance will help you better understand how to prevent heat stress this summer.
As spring turns into summer and brings up “hot weather,”
we should all be aware of some tips to prevent heat
stress. Remember, physical activity at high temperatures
can directly affect health and indirectly be the cause of
accidents.
What is Heat Stress?
It’s a signal that says the body is having difficulty maintaining
its narrow temperature range. The heart pumps
faster, blood is diverted from internal organs to the skin,
breathing rate increases, and sweating increases, all in
an attempt to transfer more heat to the outside air and
cool the skin by the evaporation of sweat. If the body can’t
keep up, then the person suffers effects ranging from heat
cramps to heat exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke.
Dry clothes and skin doesn’t mean you’re not sweating!
In dry climates you might not feel wet or sticky, but you
are still sweating. On a very warm day you can lose as
much as two liters of fluid.
Beat the heat. Help prevent the ill effects of heat stress
by:
- Drinking water frequently and moderately (about
a glassful every 15-30 minutes). Due to the fact
that most of us already consume excess salt in
our diets, salt tablets are not recommended for
general use. - Resting frequently.
- Eating lightly.
- Doing more strenous jobs during the cooler morning hours.
- Utilizing ventilation or fans in enclosed areas.
- Remembering that it takes about 1-2 weeks for
the body to adjust to the heat; this adaptation is
quickly lost – so your body will need time to adjust
after a vacation, too. - Avoiding alcohol consumption. Many cases have
occurred the day after a “night on the town.” - Wearing light-colored, cotton clothes and keeping
your shirt on – desert nomads don’t wear all those
clothes for nothing.