Protecting the Worker in Hot Work Environments
Although humans can live and work in a wide range of temperatures, the deep-body, or core, temperature of the body cannot vary more than a few degrees without potentially serious physiological consequences. Increases of even a few degrees centigrade may cause significant adverse affects on an individual. Being a firefighter puts you at a higher risk to dangers.
Four environmental factors affect the amount of stress a worker faces in a hot work area: temperature, humidity, radiant heat (such as from fire, the sun or a furnace) and air velocity. Perhaps most important to the level of stress an individual faces are personal characteristics such as age, weight, fitness, medical condition and acclimatization to the heat.
The body reacts to high external temperature by circulating blood to the skin which increases skin temperature and allows the body to give off its excess heat through the skin. However, if the muscles are being used for physical labor, less blood is available to flow to the skin and release the heat.
Sweating is another means the body uses to maintain a stable internal body temperature in the face of heat. However, sweating is effective only if the humidity level is low enough to permit evaporation and if the fluids and salts lost is adequately replaced.
To protect yourself on and off the job site, adhere to the following:
1. Keep hydrated. Drink lots of water, on duty and off duty. Have drinking water available on all apparatus, in all chiefs' cars and all other fire department vehicles. Urge firefighters to drink plenty of water before coming on duty.
2. Avoid soft drinks, sugary drinks or caffeinated drinks.
3. Urge personnel to get plenty of rest while off duty.
4. Urge personnel to report any and all symptoms of dehydration, heat cramps, heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
5. Limit outdoor exercise.
6. Establish a rehabilitation center at major incidents. If possible, set up the rehab center under a tent or in a shaded area.
7. Set up an extra hose to provide a place for firefighters to cool off.
8. Pull extra alarms or bring in extra companies at major incidents to relieve the first-arriving crews.
Of course there are many steps a person might choose to take to reduce the risk of heat stress, such as moving to a cooler place, reducing the work pace or load, or removing or loosening some clothing.
But the body cannot dispose of excess heat, it will store it. When this happens, the body's core temperature rises and the heart rate increases. As the body continues to store heat, the individual begins to lose concentration and has difficulty focusing on a task, may become irritable or sick and often loses the desire to drink. The next stage is most often fainting and death is possible if the person is not removed from the heat stress. Be aware and act to avoid the following:
Heat stroke, the most serious health problem for workers in hot environments, is caused by the failure of the body's internal mechanism to regulate its core temperature. Sweating stops and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Signs include (1) mental confusion, delirium, loss of consciousness, convulsions or coma; (2) a body temperature of 106 degrees F or higher; and (3) hot dry skin which may be red, mottled, or bluish. Victims of heat stroke will die unless treated promptly. While awaiting medical help, the victim must be removed to a cool area and his or her clothing soaked with cool water. He or she should be fanned vigorously to increase cooling. Prompt first aid can prevent permanent injury to the brain and other vital organs.
Heat exhaustion results from loss of fluid through sweating when a worker has failed to drink enough fluids or take in enough salt or both. The worker with heat exhaustion still sweats but experiences extreme weakness or fatigue, giddiness, nausea, or headache. The skin is clammy and moist, the complexion pale or flushed, and the body temperature normal or slightly higher. Treatment is usually simple: the victim should rest in a cool place and drink an electrolyte solution (a beverage used by athletes to quickly restore potassium, calcium, and magnesium salts). Severe cases involving victims who vomit or lose consciousness may require longer treatment under medical supervision.
Heat cramps, painful spasms of the muscles, are caused when workers drink large quantities of water but fail to replace their bodies' salt loss. Tired muscles -- those used for performing the work — are usually the ones most susceptible to cramps. Cramps may occur during or after working hours and may be relieved by taking liquids by mouth or saline solutions intravenously for quicker relief, if medically determined to be required.
Fainting (heat syncope) may be a problem for the worker unacclimatized to a hot environment who simply stands still in the heat. Victims usually recover quickly after a brief period of lying down. Moving around, rather than standing still, will usually reduce the possibility of fainting.
Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, may occur in hot and humid environments where sweat is not easily removed from the surface of the skin by evaporation. When extensive or complicated by infection, heat rash can be so uncomfortable that it inhibits sleep and impedes a worker's performance or even results in temporary total disability. It can be prevented by resting in a cool place and allowing the skin to dry.
Most heat-related health problems can be prevented or the risk of developing them reduced. Following a few basic precautions should lessen heat stress. Work smart, work safe. The life you save may be your own.
For more information on how JobCare can serve your Fire and Emergency Response Department, contact us at 218-362-6379 or visit us online at www.JobCare.biz. Audiometric Testing is available and can be scheduled for on-site services. Our staff is Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationists (COHN), trained under the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC).