SafetyBlog

Treating Heat Related Disorders and Dehydration

From:  SafetyGuy08 @ NationalSafetyBlog

The human body is extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and even minor changes can adversely affect it. A rise of less than 7oF above normal body temperature can result in death. The body normally handles heat by sweating to cool the body off. It is therefore critical to make sure that the body remains hydrated, especially in areas of elevated temperature and extreme activity.

Heat related disorders include heat rash, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stress, heat stroke and dehydration.

Dealing with heat rash

– Heat rash is usually due to moist clothing remaining in contact with the skin. Even once the skin has been cleaned and dried, the rash may persist for up to 3 weeks afterwards. To avoid heat rash try to wear moisture wicking clothing that pulls the moisture away from the skin. No special treatment is necessary for heat rash. It will eventually clear up on its’ own.

Dealing with heat syncope

– Heat syncope is generally not very serious. It is a dizziness that comes from overheating while sitting in the sun. Simply move the person to a shaded area and cool them down and the problem should go away. Give them plenty of liquids a little at a time to make sure that they aren’t getting dehydrated.

Dealing with heat cramps

– Heat cramps are caused by dehydration. When the muscles are low in sodium and fluids they may cramp up or spasm. Rehydration will usually remedy the problem (see below).

Dealing with dehydration

– First it must be noted that it is much simpler to make sure that the body stays hydrated than it is to try to rehydrate a body that has become dehydrated. Drinking plenty of liquids (avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages) is key to keeping the body hydrated. Symptoms of dehydration may include fatigue, cramping, dizziness, confusion, extreme thirst, headaches, fainting, and convulsions. To help a victim of dehydration give them small doses of liquids (electrolyte replacement drinks and/or tablets are a great way to rehydrate because they replace the needed electrolytes as well as the liquids) at regular intervals; too much to fast could cause the person to vomit and actually lose even more liquids, so give small doses a little at a time. Move the person to a cooler location. The urine of a well hydrated person will run clearish (as opposed to dark yellow).

Dealing with heat exhaustion or heat stress

– When dehydration continues, the lack of fluids in the body can cause the constriction of the blood vessels which will may result in lightheadedness, dizziness, exhaustion, cramping, fatigue, increased respiration, etc… Rehydration should remedy the problem. If left untreated, however, it could potentially lead to heat stroke which can be fatal (see below)

Dealing with heat stroke

– As we have already mentioned, heat stroke can be fatal. If the body temperature gets too elevated the brain can overheat. Death can result in as little as 30 minutes so it is imperative to get them help immediately.

Heat stroke can be:

  1. Slow (fluid depleted heat stroke) which comes about when dehydration is ignored. Eventually, the lack of fluids in the body causes the body to overheat, leading to heat stroke.
  2. Fast (fluid intact) which comes about, not as a result of fluid depletion but as a result of extreme heat when the body isn’t able to cool itself down adequately or fast enough.

In either case, heat stroke symptoms may include any of the following symptoms:

  • Flushed or hot skin
  • Hallucinations
  • Dizziness
  • Disorientation
  • Seizures
  • Unusual behavior
  • Heavy breathing

The most important step, in treating someone with heat stroke, is to lower the body temperature. Move the person to a cooler area and remove all non-breathable clothing. Pour cool water (not too cold or the body could potentially go into shock) on wrists, neck and ankles. Fan them to speed up sweat evaporation. If ice packs are available, put them at the neck (the main artery at the neck will drive the cooled blood to the rest of the body faster). Monitor the patient’s temperature. When their body temperature falls below 102o stop cooling them and start to give them small sips of liquid (see rehydration procedures above).

What is NAOSH Week?   4/21/11

From: ASSE website and SafetyGuy08

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, or NAOSH Week, occurs every year during the first full week of May. NAOSH Week is intended to raise awareness about occupational safety, health and the environment. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) joined with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) in 2002 to raise the public’s awareness of occupational safety, health and the environment in North America during NAOSH Week. This is just one tool the 100-year-old ASSE and its 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members use throughout the year to promote occupational safety aimed at preventing injuries and illnesses. Several organizations representing thousands of businesses have partnered with ASSE and CSSE to support NAOSH Week, including U.S. federal agencies such as the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to reach millions of people around the globe on the importance of being safe at work.

During NAOSH Week, ASSE and CSSE members, OSHA and NAOSH partners develop and implement activities throughout North America to promote NAOSH Week. ASSE members have held fleet safety classes, ergonomic awareness events, distributed catastrophe preparedness information, distributed free teen worker safety and preventing roadway crash brochures, developed and presented teen worker safety courses, helped Habitat for Humanity, held a personal protective equipment (PPE) fashion show, donated PPE and much more. In past years, NAOSH themes have included: mining safety; transportation safety, as transportation accidents are the number one cause of on-the-job deaths; youth workplace safety; and more.

Also, 2007 was the first year that Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day (OSHP) was celebrated. OSHP Day falls on the Wednesday of NAOSH Week. The day was established to honor occupational safety, health and environmental professionals who have dedicated their lives to protecting people, property and the environment. For more information about OSHP Day, visit the OSHP Day 2011 web page.

Each year ASSE urges everyone to get involved in NAOSH Week in an effort to better educate the public about the positive benefits a safe workplace provides not only for workers, but for their families, friends, businesses, their local community and the global community. In 2009, more than 4,000 people lost their lives from on-the-job injuries and never made it home. Do you know what to do when a fire breaks out?

We’d like to move that number to 0.

As much as we all would like to think we would know what to do and how to act when a fire breaks out, statistics show that most of us don’t. Panic and fear takes over and everything we thought we knew goes out the door.

With that in mind, here’s a reminder of correct operating procedure. Even if you think you know it… reread it. You can’t be reminded too often.

When a fire starts

  1. Sound an alarm. Set off the fire alarm; yell if necessary.
  2. Get everyone away from the fire. Get everyone out of the building.
  3. Call the fire department.
  4. If the fire is small enough to battle with a fire extinguisher do so but make sure you understand when to get out and make sure that you don’t get cornered or trapped by flames. Remember that flames can suddenly and rapidly spread.
  5. Stand by to direct the fire department when they arrive.

Things to know about BEFORE a fire starts

  1. The phone number of the fire department
  2. Your address
  3. Where the fire extinguishers are
  4. What the evacuation plan is (including primary exit and secondary exit)

 

Dehydration

What Causes Dehydration?

 

The two types of dehydration, chronic dehydration and acute dehydration, can be caused by many things. The most common are: flu, vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expel toxins as well as to keep your system flexible, lubricated and running smoothly. Dehydration and blood pressure problems often go hand in hand due to the loss of electrolytes.

 Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause:

  • Dry, sticky mouth
  • Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual
  • Thirst
  • Decreased urine output — no wet diapers for three hours for infants and eight hours or more without urination for older children and teens
  • Few or no tears when crying
  • Dry skin
  • Headache
  • Constipation
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness

    Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, can cause:

  • Extreme thirst
  • Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults
  • Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
  • Lack of sweating
  • Little or no urination — any urine that is produced will be dark yellow or amber
  • Sunken eyes
  • Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity and doesn’t “bounce back” when pinched into a fold
  • In infants, sunken fontanels — the soft spots on the top of a baby’s head
  • Low blood pressure
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Rapid breathing
  • No tears when crying
  • Fever
  • In the most serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness

    Unfortunately, thirst isn’t always a reliable gauge of the body’s need for water, especially in children and older adults. A better indicator is the color of your urine: Clear or light-colored urine means you’re well hydrated, whereas a dark yellow or amber color usually signals dehydration.

    When to see a doctor
    If you’re a healthy adult, you can usually treat mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, such as water or a sports drink (Gatorade, Powerade, others).

    Get immediate medical care if you develop severe signs and symptoms such as extreme thirst, a lack of urination, shriveled skin, dizziness and confusion.

    Treat children and older adults with greater caution. Call your family doctor right away if your loved one:

  • Develops severe diarrhea, with or without vomiting or fever
  • Has bloody stool
  • Has had moderate diarrhea for three days or more
  • Can’t keep down fluids
  • Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual
  • Has any of the signs or symptoms of mild or moderate dehydration

    Go to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911 or your emergency medical number if you think a child or older adult is severely dehydrated. You can help prevent dehydration from becoming severe by carefully monitoring someone who is sick and giving fluids, such as an oral rehydration solution (Pedialyte, others) at the first sign of diarrhea, vomiting or fever and by encouraging children to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

     Prevention of Dehydration

    The average person loses between two and three liters of water a day through the breath, sweat, and urine. This number can increase or decrease based on the types of activities that a person engages in. Heavy exercise can cause a body to lose more than 2 liters an hour! To prevent dehydration you simply need to replenish the liquids that are lost throughout the day. Many resources and sites will tell you to drink 8 glasses of water a day, or give you a set number of liters to drink but the honest truth is that every BODY is different and only you will know how much your BODY needs.

    Only YOU can know how much water YOU need to be at your best. Thats right, WATER. Not soda, not juice, not sugar-drinks. Pay attention to your fluid loss and take special care to replenish it as it is being lost. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated – you want to avoid becoming thirsty in the first place. Pay attention to the color of your urine, dark urine is usually an indicator that you are dehydrated. Drink more water, especially infants, children and the elderly.

      Treatment of Dehydration

    If dehydration is the removal of water from an object, then the treatment to reverse its effects would logically be rehydration.

    When a person becomes dehydrated they have also lost electrolytes so it is very important to replenish them along the water. The type of electrolytes needed for rehydration are sodium and potassium salts usually found in sports drinks like Gatorade and pediatric formulas like Pedialite. Electrolytes are needed for electro-chemical reactions within cells. A lack of electrolytes in the body can interfere with the chemical reactions needed for healthy cell operation and is known as water intoxication. This can become a serious condition and has lead to death in extreme cases.

    If a person is showing minor symptoms give them plenty of water and let them drink it very slowly, in small sips. Electrolytes are also important to replace. Electrolytes can be readily had from Gatorade or Pedialite. They are also found in salty foods but eating any food while dehydrated will only dehydrate the body more since fluids are required for digestion. If Gatorade or Pedialite are not available, slowly replenish the bodies liquids with water and follow that up after symptoms have subsided with a small salty snack or a very light meal.

    If a person is showing some of the more severe symptoms of dehydration as listed above, call an ambulance immediately. He or she may be past the point where ingestion of the proper fluids will help; get them medical attention immediately.

     

    Water, why you need it. 

    Water is the most common substance on earth and it’s also the most common substance in the human body, making up between 60-70 percent of a person’s body weight. Water comprises 85 percent of your brains grey matter and 20-25 percent of your bones. You can potentially live weeks without food, yet you’re unlikely to live more than a few days without water, dependent on certain conditions. So staying hydrated is extremely important to the proper function of our bodies.

     

    Water facts and benefits.

    Water is needed for virtually every activity in the body. Water helps in the digestive process to break up, soften and transport food through our digestive tracts. Water is a lubricant preventing friction between the body’s joints and muscles. It helps protect tissue from injury and gives flexibility to tendons, cartilage and bones. Water helps reduce stress on the circulatory system during sports activities, helping the blood carry energy to the body cells. During illness greater water intake helps regulate body temperature and control fever. Cold water is absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water.

    Bottled water, what does the labels mean?

    Under FDA (Food and Drug Administration) labeling rules, bottled water includes the products labeled as Artesian water, Mineral water, Sparkling bottled water, Spring water and Purified water. Here is how the FDA defines each:

    • Artesian: Comes from a well tapping a confined aquifer (an aquifer is a body of permeable and porous rock through with water can easily move) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer. “Artesian Well Water” is an equivalent term. Here in the ENMR Plateau service area, we are on top of the largest aquifer in the United States. It is called the “Ogallala Aquifer”.
    • Mineral: Originates from a geologically and physically protected underground water source and contains at least 250 parts per million of naturally occurring dissolved solids (not added by bottlers). Thought by some to be good for health.
    • Sparkling bottled: Water that after treatment and possible replacement of carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from its source.
    • Spring: Comes from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. It may be collected at the spring or through a bore hole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring.
    • Purified: Produced by distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis- all processes that remove minerals from water. In some cases, “purified water” is simply tap water that has been treated by one of the above listed processes.

     

    Summers heat is on! Whether you’re outdoors in the heat for work or play, or whether you work indoors in a hot environment, employees need to know how to cope with the effects of heat stress.

     

    Information provided by the FDA, ADAM and American Red Cross.

     Today’s Post is courtesy of Ken Oswald  Safety and Security Manager ENMR·Plateau   koswald@plateautel.com

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