Heat Acclimatization: Get Used to It!

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  University of Texas at Tyler. Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Description:
  It's only June and temperatures are already reaching triple digits in the Southwest United States. For outdoor workers, the heat is more than uncomfortable; it can pose a deadly threat. Farmers, loggers, foresters and commercial fishermen all spend a considerable part of their work day outside. Not to mention, agricultural work can also be very labor intensive and require workers to exert considerable energy. Did you know that the heat related death rate for crop workers is 20 times higher than the overall U.S. worker rate? (Luginbuhl et al., 2008) Several factors contribute to this elevated death rate including exposure, exertion (both mentioned above), and inadequate acclimatization. What is acclimatization? Heat acclimatization is a temporary physiological adaptation that improves tolerance and dissipation of heat with repeated exposure to hot environments. (Jackson & Rosenberg, 2010; OSHA, 2011) You may have heard people say that you have to 'get used to' the heat. They're right! Why should you acclimatize? Acclimatization helps the body tolerate hot temperatures in the following ways: Lesser increase in body temperature; Lesser increase in heart rate; Sweating starts sooner; Sweat is more dilute (you lose less electrolytes); Sweating increases in volume; Less perceived discomfort. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Forestry Health Promotion Hot Temperature Hunting Occupational Health Public Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Industry Fishing Industry Forestry Workers Health Promotion Heat Acclimatization Heat Exposure Injury Prevention Outdoor Workers Public Health Safety Education
• Publisher:
  The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053476
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2013 Jun; :website
• Email:
  agcenter@uthct.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Monthly Safety Blast
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8ac34a3be5cbce569237c55b169e74b845eed30340123705fd3cdfa7b3fa874f29f6115c84f81d2e74b621b2b1fd60177a1b7b6ad8a9c67e6d081c7ca7b8ada2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216221/cdc_216221_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 220.20 KB ]