Preventing Heat Stress

Preventing Heat Stress

What is Heat Stress?

Heat stress is defined as the discomfort, psychological strain perceived due to exposure to a hot environment. For example, a person who is working in a hot environment either in the sun or in a high-temperature area where surrounding machines and plants will be energized and heat produced with raising the temperature.

The normal human body temperature is 98°F (38°C) is maintained constantly by the body naturally. Sometimes, the body raises the temperature faster than the cooling ability of the body, body suffers heat stress. Body temperature can rise due to a lot of factors, e.g., working at a high temperature can make the human body overwhelm the regulating abilities. As a result, the body can't cool itself off fast enough, and overheating occurs.

In simple words, it can be stated that the;

Heat Stress is the stress placed on the human body when it attempts and fails to cope with the excessive interna heat.

Effects of Heat Stress

People love both warm, moderate, and cold environments, and sometimes we travel to other areas to enjoy the climate. For example, people from warm areas, visit cold-weather destinations to get relax and enjoy the weather.

Staying warm is a human instinct, still excessive heat puts a strain on the human body and forces it to regulate the internal temperature. If this one factor combines, with other factors, the potential for Heat Stress exists, and some other factors are listed below;

1. Physical Work Activity
2. Hard Labour Activity
3. Loss of Human Body Fluids
4. Fatigue, Tiredness

Depending on the severity and type of heat stress disorder, symptoms can range from heavy sweating, heading, dizziness, and fatigue to a life-threatening condition such as heat stroke in which seizure or unconsciousness could occur. The 3 most common types of heat stress are listed below;

1. Heat Cramp
2. Heat Exhaustion
3. Heat Stroke

Heat Stress Factors

Temperature alone causes heat stress seldom, as compared to others. Heat stress is the combination of the many factors which together raise the body temperature rapidly.

These factors are listed below;

1. Temperature
2. Humidity
3. Air movement
4. Radiation temperature from surroundings
5. Clothes being worn
6. Direct contact with the hot objects, surfaces, etc.
7. The physical activity being performed
8. Loss of fluid during work
9. Fatigue

Where Heat Stress can occur, and who is vulnerable to it?

Heat stress can occur in a variety of working environments and conditions. To suffer heat stress, the human body doesn't require to be in a warm tropical climate or desert. If you are working near hot surface machinery e.g., boiler, heat stress can occur since the heat produced by the surface is more than your body's cool off ability.

Anyone can suffer heat stress, but keep in mind, every body has different abilities to cool off the body, and some people can develop heat stress symptoms more rapidly than others. The bottom line is, anyone, can become a victim of heat stress if the environmental conditions overwhelm the body's ability to regulate its temperature and cool off regularly. Since it is a hazard to the human body, awareness about Heat Stress is the key to controlling it.

How does the body regulate Internal Temperature?

The normal body temperature is 98°F (38°C) maintained by the body automatically around the clock. A sudden variation in the temperature and the human body starts compensating the internal body temperature immediately, by employing the body's built-in thermoregulatory system. On top of this, the skin plays as a detecting sensor and communicates the change in outer temperature to the internal thermoregulatory system to compensate for the change.

In cold conditions, the body starts shivering when the body is cold, to produce friction in the muscles to produce the heat, on the other hand, in hot conditions, the blood circulation to the skin is increased to dissipate the excessive internal heat through the skin. If the human body is involved in the work activity, less blood is flown to the skin to dissipate the excessive heat. In both cases, sweating takes place, and the body's core temperature is controlled.

Body Overheating Circumstances

Working in the same place for a long time in increasing temperature can lead to body temperature increase, body fluids loss, body fatigue. Ultimately, the alertness of the body decreases to the minimum, the worker responds to the activities slowly as compared to the normal response.

Health Hazards

Temperature around the body raises to the maximum, more than the body's temperature, skin is provided with maximum blood to dissipate the excessive heat. Evaporation of sweating remains the only effective way to get rid of excessive heat.

Since the blood and sweating are being used to get rid of the excessive internal heat, less blood, and liquids are available to supply the body's active muscles and organs. If the body can't reduce its core temperature through flowing blood and sweating, the heat storage will begin, serious risks start existing e.g., heatstroke.

Heat-Related Illness

Heat-related illnesses can range from heat rashes and sunburn to cramps, exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat cramp, sunburn, and exhaustion turn out to be discomfort, but they are not life-threatening. Heat exhaustion is a more serious condition, that can lead to heatstroke.

Heat Cramps are spasm that occurs during or after muscle exhaustion, sweating in a hot environment. They occur in the legs, muscles, and are caused by heavy sweating, because of drainage of the body's salt and fluids in excessive quantity.

The best treatment of the heat cramp is to stay and rest in cool areas, work in less hot times, and take an excessive amount of fluids regularly to keep the body hydrated. A normal diet provides a required amount of salts to the human body. Commercial fluids that contain electrolytes are also beneficial, whereas alcohol shouldn't be used to replace the lost fluids.

Heat Exhaustion develops when the body loses more fluids than it takes in and causes the body's cooling system to start breaking down. People suffering the heat exhaustion can be seen as weak, lazy, clumsy, confused, and upset. Heat exhaustion symptoms are listed below;

1. Heavy Sweating
2. Cool, Moist Skin
3. Weak Pulse

The Controls that should be adopted in case of Heat Exhaustion are listed below;

1. Move the worker or yourself to the cool area
2. Remove the excessive clothes
3. Provide plenty of fluids to the worker to drink and cool down the body
4. Spray cold water to cool down the body temperature
5. Keep the person in front of the fan
6. If the situation deteriorates, call the emergency services and shift to the hospital for proper treatment

Keep in mind, Heat Exhaustion is a serious issue, and if not handled immediately or with care, the victim can suffer Heat Stroke.

Heat Stroke & Treatment

Heatstroke occurs when the body's internal temperature regulating function no longer compensates with the outer temperature. There are very few symptoms that warn that a crisis stage has been reached and need immediate action, since the body has ceased body colling function, and started storing heat from surroundings. Few symptoms are listed below;

1. Low or no sweating
2. Hot and dry skin even if the worker was sweating earlier
3. A rise in the body's internal temperature
4. Weakness, dizziness, nauseous
5. Unconsciousness

Following actions must be adopted to reduce the heatstroke effects;

1. Cool off the person immediately
2. Submerge the person in the water or spray water on him immediately
3. Keep the person in front of fan
4. Alert the emergency services immediately, without any delay
5. Shift the person to the nearest hospital for proper treatment

Preventive Control Measures

1. Reduce the temperature of the working area through engineering controls.
2. Provide shielding against heat-producing objects.
3. The workplace should be provided with ventilation.
4. Workplace temperature should be monitored and maintained.
5. Increase air movement within the workplace using exhaust fans and air conditioners.
6. Divide the work activity, and perform in low-temperature times.
7. Prepare the Risk Assessments and evaluate the work activity for risks.
8. Provide workers with welfare facilities on the worksite.
9. Work activity should be done with break intervals and well monitored.
10. Workers should be trained and informed about working in hot environments.
11. Proper clothing should be provided to the workers working in the hot environment.