Wingfoot
July 18th, 2008, 03:06 AM
It's going to be very hot over the next few days and probably the coming weeks. We are in deep summer and you need to do everything you can to keep hydrated and cool. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water all day long. Always start drinking water before your day begins as you must get hydrated right away. If you feel thirsty you are already becoming dehydrated and will be fighting an uphill battle all day long. Take a lunch break during the day to help your body cool down and rest. Some locators carry towels in ice water to hang around their necks and keep cool while locating. Make sure you do whatever it takes to stay safe. Below is some additional info about heat related illness.
A QUICK SAFETY TOPIC
Working in Hot Weather
Sweat acts like our natural air conditioner. As sweat evaporates from our skin, it cools us off. Our personal cooling system can fail, though, if we over-exert ourselves on hot and humid days. When this happens, our body heat can climb to dangerous levels. This can result in heat exhaustion or a heat stroke, which is life-threatening.
Heat exhaustion takes time to develop. Fluids and salt are vital for health. They are lost as children and adults sweat a lot during exercise or other strenuous activities. It is very important to drink lots of liquids before, during and after exercise in hot weather. As strange as it seems, people suffering from heat exhaustion have low, normal or only slightly elevated body temperatures.
Signs and Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
* Cool, clammy, pale skin
* Sweating
* Dry Mouth
* Fatigue, weakness
* Dizziness
* Headache
* Nausea, sometimes vomiting
* Muscle cramps
* Weak and rapid pulse
Heat stroke, unlike heat exhaustion, strikes suddenly with little warning. When the body's cooling system fails, the body's temperature rises fast. This creates an emergency condition.
Signs of heat stroke include:
* Very high temperature (104 degrees F)
* Hot, dry, red skin
* No sweating
* Dilated pupils
* Confusion, delirium, hallucinations
* Convulsions
* Loss of consciousness
* Deep breathing and fast pulse - then shallow breathing and weak pulse
PREVENTION
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be prevented with this advice:
* Take caution when you must be in the sun. At the first signs of heat exhaustion, get out of the sun or your body temperature will continue to rise.
* Do not exercise vigorously during the hottest times of the day.
* Wear light, loose-fitting clothing, such as cotton, so sweat can evaporate, and, wear a wide-brimmed hat with vents.
* Drink lots of liquids, especially if your urine is a dark yellow, to replace the fluids you lose from sweating. Thirst is not a reliable sign that your body needs fluids. When you exercise, it is better to sip rather than gulp the liquids.
* Drink water, or water with salt added if you sweat a lot.
* If you feel very hot, try to cool off. Open a window, use a fan or turn on an air conditioner.
* Do not drink alcohol or beverages with caffeine because they speed up fluid loss.
* Some people perspire more than others; those who do should drink as much fluid as they can during hot, humid days.
* Know the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion and don't ignore them.
A QUICK SAFETY TOPIC
Working in Hot Weather
Sweat acts like our natural air conditioner. As sweat evaporates from our skin, it cools us off. Our personal cooling system can fail, though, if we over-exert ourselves on hot and humid days. When this happens, our body heat can climb to dangerous levels. This can result in heat exhaustion or a heat stroke, which is life-threatening.
Heat exhaustion takes time to develop. Fluids and salt are vital for health. They are lost as children and adults sweat a lot during exercise or other strenuous activities. It is very important to drink lots of liquids before, during and after exercise in hot weather. As strange as it seems, people suffering from heat exhaustion have low, normal or only slightly elevated body temperatures.
Signs and Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
* Cool, clammy, pale skin
* Sweating
* Dry Mouth
* Fatigue, weakness
* Dizziness
* Headache
* Nausea, sometimes vomiting
* Muscle cramps
* Weak and rapid pulse
Heat stroke, unlike heat exhaustion, strikes suddenly with little warning. When the body's cooling system fails, the body's temperature rises fast. This creates an emergency condition.
Signs of heat stroke include:
* Very high temperature (104 degrees F)
* Hot, dry, red skin
* No sweating
* Dilated pupils
* Confusion, delirium, hallucinations
* Convulsions
* Loss of consciousness
* Deep breathing and fast pulse - then shallow breathing and weak pulse
PREVENTION
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be prevented with this advice:
* Take caution when you must be in the sun. At the first signs of heat exhaustion, get out of the sun or your body temperature will continue to rise.
* Do not exercise vigorously during the hottest times of the day.
* Wear light, loose-fitting clothing, such as cotton, so sweat can evaporate, and, wear a wide-brimmed hat with vents.
* Drink lots of liquids, especially if your urine is a dark yellow, to replace the fluids you lose from sweating. Thirst is not a reliable sign that your body needs fluids. When you exercise, it is better to sip rather than gulp the liquids.
* Drink water, or water with salt added if you sweat a lot.
* If you feel very hot, try to cool off. Open a window, use a fan or turn on an air conditioner.
* Do not drink alcohol or beverages with caffeine because they speed up fluid loss.
* Some people perspire more than others; those who do should drink as much fluid as they can during hot, humid days.
* Know the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion and don't ignore them.