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Hot Facts About Heat-Related Illness

  • Published
  • By Rita Hess
  • Staff Writer
Summer 2014 --  With crazy weather sweeping our globe year after year, many places are experiencing vicious and prolonged summer conditions. Sometimes it is record high temperatures, drought, humidity, and other times it is a wacky combination of all those elements. These environmental phenomena stress everything from inanimate objects such as homes and automobiles to living things--plants, animals, and humans!

There is no quick fix for Mother Nature's heat. Until temperatures subside, however, balance the conditions around you, take care of yourself and others, and know how to respond in a critical situation. Here's what you need to know to stay safe.

All Airmen are susceptible to the dangers of heat, regardless of age, fitness, or job.
  • It doesn't matter how old or young you are. Relentless summer heat can catch any Airman off-guard. Older adults or those with health issues are at a higher risk for heat-related illness, but heat can affect anyone.

  • It doesn't matter how athletic you are. In fact, those who are physically fit may be at even greater risk of succumbing to the heat because they push themselves too hard (e.g., run an extra mile, shoot a few more hoops, work longer between breaks).

  • It doesn't matter what type of work you do. Just because you work on a sweltering flight line during the week doesn't mean you should mow your lawn on a blistering Saturday afternoon. You can--to some degree--acclimate yourself to heat with gradual exposure, but your body doesn't necessarily "get used to it." In fact, heat can take a cumulative toll on the body, so take the same precautions at home as you do at work.

Losing an Airman to the heat can have far-reaching ramifications.
  • Heat stress affects your cognitive processes--you simply don't think as clearly as you would otherwise. So staying on the job during a mild heat-related incident endangers those around you by increasing the likelihood that you'll be involved in a mishap.

  • Even if the heat only keeps you off the job for a few days, your absence may have a ripple effect. If someone else pulls extra hours to get your job done, that person could also succumb to the heat or make a critical mistake.

  • Most importantly, of course, is that a heat-related illness can be deadly. Don't be "the example" used in future safety briefings about how to stay alive in the heat. Also, a severe heat-related illness can permanently damage vital organs (e.g., heart, kidneys, liver), but the damage may not show up for years. Don't let future organ failure be your "unforgettable souvenir" from the summer of 2014.

Altering the work environment, work/rest cycles, and personal care can reduce the potential for heat-related illness.
  • In some cases, modifying work environments can help. When possible, turn down thermostats indoors, provide large fans to move air, modify schedules to work during the coolest parts of the day, and provide a cool place for frequent breaks.

  • Get plenty of rest between shifts and avoid heavy meals, as the digestion process zaps valuable energy that your body would otherwise use to moderate your temperature. Wear light-colored cotton clothing outdoors if your job allows it. If your job requires heavy personal protective equipment, check your heart rate at frequent intervals.

  • Finally, sip (don't gulp) plenty of water, even when you aren't thirsty and regardless of your activity level. During heavy exercise in a hot environment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 16-32 ounces of cool fluids each hour. (If your urine is dark yellow, you aren't drinking enough water.) Fruit juice and sports drinks help replenish salt and minerals lost from sweating, but avoid caffeine and alcohol, which actually cause you to lose fluid.

Early detection and immediate treatment can prevent fatalities.
  • Supervisors must monitor the people who report to them, coworkers must monitor each other, and you must monitor your own condition. Simply feeling tired and irritable or an inability to concentrate can be one clue that heat is taking a toll.

  • Regular briefings remind all Airmen about the symptoms and dangers of heat-related illness. Safety posters, emails, social media, and simple conversations are also effective tools for reminding others about the signs of heat stress and the importance of hydration.

  • Similar to storm preparedness and other emergency procedures, develop (and practice) emergency response procedures for heat-related illness. If possible, designate cooling stations, assign "heat buddies," to monitor each other, and/or cultivate other ideas for early detection and treatment.