When You're Hot, You're Hot
By John Davenport

In Texas, summertime can be like a bad party guest. It arrives too early and stays too late. If your employees work outside, help protect them from the potential ill effects of this seasonal "guest" by teaching them how to prevent, recognize, and provide first aid for the most common heat disorders.

When the human body gets too hot, it sweats. As sweat evaporates, it cools the body.

Unfortunately for Texas workers, our summers often combine humidity with heat. High humidity causes sweat to evaporate more slowly because the air is already saturated with water vapor. This makes it harder for the body to cool itself, which may lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Heat cramps
Dehydration causes heat cramps. When the human body sweats heavily and does not receive enough liquids to replenish what it has lost through perspiration, it may "borrow" blood from the larger muscle groups, such as the stomach and quadriceps, to ensure its vital organs have enough blood to function. This causes cramping in the larger muscle groups.

Early signs of heat cramps are muscle spasms and pain in the hands, feet or abdomen. To treat heat cramps, move the affected employee to a cool place. Provide sips of water or an electrolytic drink (commercially available beverages that help the body replace water and minerals lost through sweating). Do not give salt tablets to a person suffering heat cramps. Salt tablets can irritate the stomach and lead to vomiting, which causes further water loss.

Heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion, also caused by dehydration, is a mild form of shock. Symptoms may include weak pulse, shallow breathing, dizziness, headache, nausea, fatigue, and clammy skin. Heat exhaustion can become serious. If you have any doubt about the severity of a specific case on the job site, call 9-1-1 for an ambulance to take the employee to the emergency room for treatment.

Mild cases of heat exhaustion are more common. To treat a mild case, move the affected employee to a cool place, and provide sips of water or an electrolytic drink. Again, do not give the victim salt tablets. It is important to cool down the victim, but do not allow him or her to become chilled.

This condition commonly affects employees not acclimatized to the heat. To prevent heat exhaustion, allow employees to acclimatize gradually to a hot work area. Make sure they drink plenty of water and eat lightly salted food to make up for salt lost while sweating.

Heatstroke
The most severe and dangerous heat disorder is heatstroke. It causes the body to overheat and lose its ability to control its core temperature, and it can be fatal. Symptoms include a body temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, nausea, dizziness, and a rapid pulse. Early symptoms may also include irrational behavior, poor judgment, and general confusion.

At the first sign of heatstroke, call 9-1-1 for an ambulance to take the employee to the emergency room or nearest medical facility immediately. On the way, remove as much clothing as possible, and wrap the victim in a sheet soaked with water. Fan the victim vigorously to help reduce body temperature, and apply cold packs under the arms or around the neck.

Anyone who overexerts in hot, humid conditions may suffer a heatstroke, regardless of physical conditioning. On July 31, 2001, Korey Stringer, a 27-year-old NFL Pro Bowl offensive tackle, died of heatstroke after morning workout drills in the Minnesota Vikings training camp. The outside temperature was only in the low 90s, but the humidity was high, and Stringer seemed determined to prove himself.

Instead, he died of heatstroke 15 hours later.

Workers can avoid all of these heat disorders by not overdoing it. Be sure your employees drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and slow down and cool off when they experience fatigue, a headache, a high pulse rate, or shallow breathing.