Heat Illness Prevention
Heat illness is a serious medical condition when heat exposure exceeds the physiological capacity of the body to cool itself, resulting in an increase in the core body temperature. This would result in a range of heat-related symptoms, from treatable heat cramps to heat stroke. Heat stroke can be fatal, especially if medical treatment is delayed.
Learn how to control the risk of heat-induced illness, train workers to protect themselves, recognize symptoms, and respond should a heat illness emergency occur.
UC Merced has developed a heat illness prevention program to plan for, prevent and respond to heat-related illness situations.
If you supervise employees who work outside in heat, you should know how to respond should a heat illness emergency occur.
Select a topic for more information:
• Supervisor’s responsibilities
• Risk factors
• Reduce the risk
• Identifying Heat Illness: Symptoms and First Aid
• Emergency response
• Regulations and policies
• Safety training information
________________________________________
Supervisor’s Responsibilities
Department Director/Chair Deans
• Insure that Heat Illness Prevention Procedures Manual is implemented and available
• Insure employees receive heat illness prevention training
Supervisors
• Be aware of the risk factors that contribute to heat illness
• Reduce the risk by taking special precautions to prevent heat illness
• Be alert for the symptoms of serious heat illness
• Train employees about heat illness risks and how to protect themselves
• Know what to do and how to summon emergency responders should a heat illness emergency occur
________________________________________
Risk Factors
Personal Risk Factors
• Age, weight, and physical condition
• Acclimated to working in the heat
• Consumption of water, alcohol and caffeine
• Use of medications that affect tolerance to heat
Environmental Risk Factors
• Air temperature and/or Relative Humidity
• Direct exposure to the sun or heat sources
• Limited air movement
• Physical exertion and duration
• Protective clothing and protective equipment worn by employees
________________________________________
Reduce the Risk
General Prevention
• Rest in shaded or a cool, ventilated area
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid vigorous physical activities in hot and humid weather
• At work, if you must perform physical activities in hot weather:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Avoid alcohol, coffee and tea
- Take frequent mini-breaks to hydrate yourself
- As practical; wear hats, light colored and light/loose clothes
________________________________________
Identifying Heat Illness
Select an illness for information on definition, symptoms and first aid response/treatment options:
• Transient Heat Fatigue
• Heat Rash (prickly heat)
• Heat Cramps
• Heat Exhaustion
• Heat Stroke
Transient Heat Fatigue
• What is it?
- Temporary discomfort and mental or psychological strain
• Symptoms
- Decline in task performance, coordination, alertness
• First Aid Response/Treatment
- Drink fluids (water)
- Rest in a cool environment
Heat Rash (prickly heat)
• What is it?
- Skin problems caused by heat exposure or overheating
• Symptoms
- May be pinpoint bumps or red/pink patches on skin
- Large welts, hives or raised red bumps
- Itching
• First Aid Response/Treatment
- Wash affected area with gentle soap
- Rinse area with water and gently pat dry with towel
- Remain in cool environment
- Drink water
- Use cortisone creams to treat rashes
Heat Cramps
• What is it?
- Painful spasms of the muscles
• Symptoms
- Heavy sweating
- Involuntary spasms
• First Aid Response/Treatment
- Stop activity being performed, if not already
- Find cool place to rest
- Gently stretch cramped muscle
- Drink water or an electrolyte beverage
Heat Exhaustion
• What is it?
- Characterized by loss of fluid from sweating when a worker fails to drink enough fluids
• Symptoms
- Heavy sweating
- Extreme thirst
- Extreme weakness and fatigue
- Giddiness, nausea, or headaches
- Skin is cool, clammy and moist
- Complexion is pale or flushed
- Body temperature is normal or slightly higher
• First Aid Response/Treatment
- Move victim into shade
- Loose and remove clothing
- Cool the victim (web cloth, spray mist)
- Have victim slowly drink water
- Elevate victim’s legs
- Seek medical aid immediately if victim isn’t better
* Caution: Persons with heart problems or with low sodium diet should consult a physician.
Heat Stroke
• What is it?
- Failure of body’s internal mechanism to regulate its core temperature
• Symptoms
- Lack of sweat
- Mental confusion, delirium, loss of concentration, convulsion or coma
- Rapid pulse
- A body temperature of 106° F or higher
- Hot dry skin, which may be red, mottled or blush
- Convulsions, seizures, unconsciousness, or death can occur
• First Aid Response/Treatment
- Call for emergency help immediately
- Move victim into shade
- Loosen outer clothing
- Lower body temperature (massage body with ice or damp cloth)
- If victim is alert, have them slowly drink water or an electrolyte beverage, such as Gatorade
To print out hardcopy of full table with definitions, symptoms and first aid response/treatment options, click here.
________________________________________
Emergency Response
When heat illness occurs:
• Call 911 for emergency medical help
• Tell the dispatcher this is a heat related illness
• Notify your supervisor and contact UCM Worker’s Compensation, 877-6UC-RPRT (877-682-7778)
• If an employee is hospitalized, notify the UCM Police dispatcher by calling 9-911 from a campus phone or 209-228-2677 (209-CAT-COPS) from cell phones
________________________________________
Regulations and policies
• Heat Illness Prevention, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3395, Heat Illness Prevention
________________________________________
Safety training information
• Heat-Related Illness Prevention and Information, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
• To schedule group training, contact Environmental Health & Safety.