Health Illness: It Is a Hot Topic!

Details

• Personal Author:
  Powell S
• Description:
  The month of July seemed fitting to talk about heat illness. It's important to understand what heat illness looks like as well as the precautions one should take. OSHA launched a heat illness campaign in 2011 to help bring awareness to this hot topic. If you live in Texas or experience extremely hot summers, you may have experienced heat illness or heat stroke. Three simple words might help you remember what to do to prevent heat illness. Water. Rest. Shade. According to OSHA, "Thousands of employees become sick each year and many die from working in the heat. In 2012, there were 31 heat-related worker deaths and 4,120 heat-related worker illnesses. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash or heat cramps, but can quickly escalate to heat exhaustion and then heat stroke if simple preventative measures are not followed. Heat illness disproportionately affects those who have not built up a tolerance to heat (acclimatization), and it is especially dangerous for new and temporary workers." Remembering Water. Rest. Shade. could help save the lives of your workers and yourself. An app developed by the OSHA, "allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers." (https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html) Make sure to check on your workers. Heat illness came happen quickly. Know the symptoms listed below. Download 'Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness' in English and Spanish at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html. The CDC states that some factors that might increase your risk of developing a heat-related illness include: High levels of humidity; Obesity; Fever; Dehydration; Prescription drug use; Heart disease; Mental illness; Poor circulation; Sunburn; Alcohol use. Remember, Heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable if you follow a few simple steps. 1) Stay cool. 2) Stay hydrated. 3) Stay informed. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Farmers Health Promotion Heat Exhaustion Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Farm Workers Health Promotion Heat Exposure Heat Stroke Hot Environments Outdoor Workers
• 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:20058172
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2019 Jul; :website
• Email:
  agcenter@uthct.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• 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-512:61964b5b06e2fefb71aa8103b91921331a17a4efb05e90e01992d5f4bc7c7f3ba9c1c3177292044441283d45895db822ce0cc723d2033034f941e6ae0d0acd31
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221309/cdc_221309_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 345.83 KB ]