Heat Stress

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renosteinke

renosteinke

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NE Arkansas
We have heat-stress ratins well past 100F today, so it's time to revisit this regular topic.

Example: I had two guys 'go zombie" on me the other day .... one minute happily working, the next unable to read the pagkage in their hands. A visit to the air conditioned break room solved it.

Here's a break schedule we're following on these hot days:

Before 2PM, and after 5PM, it's 10 minutes every hour.

Between 2PM and 5PM, it's 20 minutes every hour. That's right; 1/3 of the time sitting in the air conditioning.

Face it: if they 'go zombie' they're just stumbling around, they're not productive anyway.
 
keep the water available. lots of it. neck coolers too, if you can find them. slow down the pace, you'll last longer. i got heat sick earlier this year, it wasn't fun. cover the skin, wear w wide brim hat ( i like a cowboy hat if i can get away with it. hard hats are hot in the summer, but required. soak a bandana and drop it on the back of your neck. that'll help. you juxst have to keep doin' it
 
Keep drinking all day, water or Gatorade, no soda or coffee or ice tea, caffine doesn't help. It can sneak up on you if you're not careful. If you're drinking, but not going to the bathroom, take a break.
 
I just had a class on this as I'm going through training to go into the steel mill, they say that when you stop sweating your most likely gone too far and are very close to a heat stroke, while being from Florida I have never had a problem working in high temps, but I also know I am no longer a spring chicken anymore, your guys need to take a break and cool off at any signs of feeling effect of the heat, tunnel vision is one of the signs as there are other, Goggle heat stroke and you should get all the info you need, this can be vary dangerous to play with and could cost your company big time if they wind up in the hospital or even worst, do some reading on it.

Alway keep a thermometer (Electronic is best) on site and check their temp as if it starts going above 100 you have the first signs.

Click below for more info:
Heat Stroke Facts
 
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Another key is to pay attention to the heat index, a combination of temperature and humidity. Stay hydrated and keep an eye on each other (sometimes co-workers can see that you're sick before you feel it). MSA makes a hard hat called the V-Gard Advance Vented, that's much cooler than normal hard hats, but it's classified as conductive (probably because of the little vent holes).

OSHA's got a lot of info at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/index.html
 
We have bought thousands of those neck coolers. The workers seem to like them a lot. We stress it's vital for employees to drink plenty of water throughout the day. When it reaches certain temps, we require the supervisors to make wellness checks and to ensure they stress taking necessary breaks when needed. With at least 12,000 employees at one site, we occassionaly have employees who get heat exhaustion and have to seek medical treatment, but luckily nobody has suffered heat stroke.

I felt bad for the Cox cable guy who needed to get into my attic the other day. It had to be 120 at least up there. I told him he didn't have too, but he insisted. I gave him a $20 tip just for getting up there for a few minutes. Seemed to appreciate that.

Stay safe and cool fella's.
 
hurk27 said:
.. they say that when you stop sweating your most likely gone too far and are very close to a heat stroke ...
Click to expand...
A word of caution on that matter...

I've worked in environments that were very hot AND dry. So much so, that your sweat evaporates immediately, and you would not be able to tell whether you are sweating or not. So sweating, or rather what we percieve as sweating, is not always a good indicator.

Below's a link to a publication put out by OSHA. While the OP's time-based work-rest schedule is a good approach, note the ratio of work-rest periods needs to vary with conditions. See pub' for more details.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/pdfs/work_rest_schedules.pdf
 
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