It may not seem like it, but summer is right around the corner. With summer and its high temperatures and humidity, come heat-related illnesses. Now is the perfect time to think about how you and your co-workers can avoid these illnesses.
Prolonged exposure to hot, humid conditions puts you at risk of heat illnesses. The risk increases if you’re doing heavy work tasks or wearing heavy, bulky clothing. Your body normally cools itself by sweating. During hot weather, especially with high humidity, sweating isn’t enough to cool you down. Your body temperature can rise to dangerous levels if you don’t take the proper precautions.
Heat Cramps – Affects workers who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. Sweating depletes the body’s salt and moisture levels.
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Heat Exhaustion – The body’s response to the loss of water and salt, usually through sweating.
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Heat Stroke – The most dangerous heat-related illness. This occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. Heat stroke can cause permanent disability or death.
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To protect yourself against heat-related illnesses, avoid heavy exertion, extreme heat,sun exposure, and high humidity whenever possible. If these conditions can’t be avoided, take the following preventative measures:
Replacing electrolytes and minerals lost while sweating is also an essential part of fighting off the effects of heat stress. Providing your workers with electrolyte replacement drinks or tablets will help keep them hydrated, healthy, and safe.
Over exposure to high heat and humidity can be dangerous. With the proper training and proper precautions to prevent heat-related illness, you can protect your health and the health of your co-workers. If you have questions about how any of our products can help you minimize the risk of heat-related illnesses, give our Technical Support Reps a call at 800-922-8553, or email techsupport@northernsafety.com. They’re here to help!