It is that time of year again when the weather starts to warm up and we become more active outdoors. I was recently working in my backyard on the first 80+ degree-day of the year and began to get dizzy and disoriented. I started thinking to myself that I was encountering a heat-related illness – was it heat stroke, heat exhaustion, or possibly just heat cramps? So many terms and levels of danger! Heat stress is the general term used to describe heat-generated illnesses that result when the body is unable to cool itself through sweating. What should we know about heat stress and what can we do to prevent it? (more…)

As summer approaches and the days get longer, the dangers of working outside during hot weather also increases. Knowing how to work safely in hot weather can help prevent heat stress injuries and heat stroke.  According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), heat stroke is the most serious heat-related disorder and occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature. The body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes and heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.  Other heat-related disorders include heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rash. (more…)