Heat is one of the deadliest risks in any workplace. Whether it is working near red-hot smelting ovens in a steelmaking facility or laboring under direct sunlight outdoors, the risk to workers from heat is one of the most common dangers, causing more deaths than any other weather-related hazard.
Each year, more than 65,000 people require medical attention as a result of exposure to heat. Heat-related illnesses can come on fast and can cause permanent damage.
Dangers of Heatstroke
Heatstroke occurs when people’s bodies become so hot that their brain literally begins to overheat, cutting off oxygen and threatening essential body functions such as heartbeat and breathing.
The condition occurs when the body temperature rises to 104 degrees F or higher. Someone suffering from heatstroke requires immediate and urgent emergency care. The brain, heart, kidneys, and muscles can suffer permanent damage in just a few minutes.
Heatstroke is caused by overexertion in a hot environment. This can lead to a sudden increase in body temperature. Classic heatstroke after overexposure to hot conditions for a period of time, usually two or three days. Older adults and people with chronic illnesses are more susceptible to heatstroke than healthy younger adults.
Wearing too many clothes in hot weather can increase the risk of heatstroke because they prevent sweat from evaporating easily and cooling the body naturally.
Drinking alcohol in the hot sun or not drinking enough water also can make a person more likely to suffer from heatstroke.
How to Recognize Heatstroke
Symptoms of heatstroke include:
- High body temperature
- Confusion, agitation, slurred speech, delirium, seizures, and coma
- Alternately sweats and chills
- Nausea and vomiting
- Flushed skin
- Heavy, rapid breathing
- Racing pulse rate
- Headache
If you notice any of these symptoms yourself or on somebody else, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Treatment for Heatstroke
While waiting for paramedics to arrive, you can treat the overheated person and possibly save their life by getting them into the shade or into an air-conditioned building, removing any excess clothing, and cooling the victim down by any means necessary.
This can include plunging their body into a pool of ice water, throwing them into a cold shower, or even spraying them down with a garden hose. You also can fan them while misting them with cool water, and apply ice packs or cold, wet towels to their head, neck, armpits, and groin areas.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently developed a free app for smartphones and tablets that keep users advised of the risk of dangerous heat. It can be downloaded here for iPhone and here for Android phones.