Triple Digit Temperatures Mean Caution When Cooling Off

With temperatures soaring into triple digits, the hazards of the heat are numerous. Dehydration from oversweating means that workers must frequently drink water or electrolytes to rehydrate. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can occur as body temperature rises due to the temperature. Heat rashes can form due to skin irritation from excesesive sweating. Heat cramps can cause muscle pains due to heavy exercise in hot weather. With all of these hazards from the heat, one might assume that a quick dip in very cold water or stepping into a walk-in freezer might be a good way to beat the heat. This is not as good an idea as it sounds.

While cool compresses and immersion in cool water are a good way to cool down quickly, one must be careful; too much of a temperature shift can cause a cold shock response, as veins abruptly constrict to retain body heat to prevent cold blood from reaching your heart. This can be very hazardous to your health, and can even cause organ failure and death in extreme cases.

So what can you do to beat the heat? First, make sure to drink plenty of water and consume more sodium than usual, as water and salts are drained from the body when you sweat. If your job requires working in the heat - for example, construction workers or warehouse crew - a cooler/dispenser with a push-button spigot, filled with ice and water or electrolyte drink made from powdered mix, can be every bit as vital a safety investment as a hard hat or a high-visibility vest. You may also want to invest in cooling vests and other heat stress gear to help keep you cool without causing extreme temperature shifts that can be hazardous.

Do you work in an industrial cooler or freezer? Don’t be tempted to skip your freezer wear just because it’s hot outside! Wear insulated gloves, freezer vests, and freezer boots when working in these icy environments, and remove them as soon as you leave. It may be tedious, but maintaining a consistent body temperature will ensure that you don’t suffer from shock when you go in or come out.

Maintaining your health in the heat can be a serious challenge. However, with the right work equipment to keep you cool, and adequate hydration to replenish what sweat takes away, you should be able to manage this summer, no matter what your workplace and the weather have to throw at you.

This entry was posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:17 and is filed under Industrial, American Work Safety, Alerts, Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.