Beat the Heat! Safety Tips

Heat Safety - Be Prepared for Hot Conditions

Some Heat Wave Safety Tips

Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. The elderly and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place.
Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods, like meat and other proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
Drink plenty of water, non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids. (Do not drink alcoholic beverages and limit caffeinated beverages)
During excessive heat periods, spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat.
Don't get too much sun. Sunburn reduces your body's ability to dissipate heat.
Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.

Child Safety Tips

Make sure your child's safety seat and safety belt buckles aren't too hot before securing your child in a safety restraint system, especially when your car has been parked in the heat.
Never leave your child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down.
Teach children not to play in cars during periods of extreme heat.
Always lock car doors and trunks--even at home--and keep keys out of children's reach.
Always make sure all children have left the car when you reach your destination. Don't leave sleeping infants in the car ever!

Symptoms of Common Heat Disorders and Serious Illnesses

1. HEAT STROKE(SUNSTROKE): High body temperature (106° F or higher), hot dry skin, rapid and strong pulse, possible unconsciousness.

First Aid: While waiting for emergency assistance, move the victim to a cooler environment reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners. If temperature rises again, repeat process. Do NOT give fluids. Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake. (HEAT STROKE IS A SEVERE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. SUMMON EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR GET THE VICTIM TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY. DELAY CAN BE FATAL.)

2. HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heavy sweating; weakness; cold, pale, clammy skin; thready pulse; fainting and vomiting but may have normal temperature.

First Aid: Get victim out of sun. Once inside, the person should lay down and loosen his or her clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air conditioned room. Offer sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue water. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.

3. SUNBURN: Redness and pain. In severe cases swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches.

First Aid: Ointments for mild cases if blisters appear and do not break. If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. Serious, extensive cases should be seen by physician.

4. HEAT CRAMPS: Painful spasms usually in the muscles of legs and abdomen with heavy sweating.

First Aid: Firm pressure on cramping muscles or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue water.

A Little Bit About Heat Index Values

Heat index is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity values to obtain a meaure of how hot it feels to our bodies. The human body normally cools itself by perspiration (sweating). This evaporates and carries heat away from the body. However, when the humidity is high, evaporation rate is reduced, so that heat is removed from the body at a slower rate, causing your body to retain more heat than it would in a drier air mass. Above is a chart of Heat Index values given different combinations of temperature and relative humidity.

How Fast Can the Sun Heat a Car?