HEAT STRESS ON LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY & DECENT WORK

Today, The Grandma has been reading about heat exhaustion, a dangerous situation that we can suffer if we are working under high temperatures, we don't drink enough liquids or we are underground.

 

The hallmarks of dehydration include thirst and neurological changes such as headaches, general discomfort, loss of appetite, nausea, decreased urine volume (unless polyuria is the cause of dehydration), confusion, unexplained tiredness, purple fingernails, and seizures. The symptoms of dehydration become increasingly severe with greater total body water loss.

Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if you can cool down within 30 minutes. If it turns into heatstroke, it needs to be treated as an emergency.

The signs of heat exhaustion include:

-Tiredness

-Dizziness

-Headache

-Feeling sick or being sick.

-Excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, but a change in skin colour can be harder to see on brown and black skin.

-Cramps in the arms, legs and stomach

-Fast breathing or heartbeat

-A high temperature

-Being very thirsty.

-Weakness

The symptoms of heat exhaustion are often the same in adults and children, although children may become irritable too.

If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down and given fluids.

If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these 4 steps:

-Move them to a cool place.

-Remove all unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks.

-Get them to drink a sports or rehydration drink, or cool water.

-Cool their skin –spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs, wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck are good too.

Stay with them until they're better. They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

Contact with emergency services if you or someone else have symptoms of heat exhaustion that you're struggling to treat or you need advice about.

You or someone else have signs of heatstroke, including:

-Still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids.

-A very high temperature

-Hot skin that's not sweating and might look red (this can be harder to see on brown and black skin).

-A fast heartbeat

-A fast breathing or shortness of breath

-Confusion and lack of coordination

-A seizure or fit

-Loss of consciousness

Put the person in the recovery position if they lose consciousness while you're waiting for help.

There's a high risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke during hot weather or exercise.

To help prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke:

-Drink more cold drinks, especially if you're active or exercising.

-Wear light-coloured, loose clothing.

-Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm.

-Avoid excess alcohol.

-Avoid extreme exercise.

If you're inside on a very hot day, close curtains, close windows if it's hotter outside than in your home and turn off electrical equipment and lights that get hot

This will also prevent dehydration and help your body keep itself cool.

Children, older people and people with long-term health conditions (such as diabetes or heart problems) are more at risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

More information: ILO

Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. During heatwaves, more people than usual get seriously ill or die. If hot weather hits this summer, make sure it does not harm you or anyone you know.

Why is a heatwave a problem? The main risks posed by a heatwave are: 

-Not drinking enough water (dehydration).

-Overheating, which can make symptoms worse for people who already have problems with their heart or breathing.

-Heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Who's most at risk? A heatwave can affect anyone, but the most vulnerable people are:

Older people –especially those over 75 and female

Those who live on their own or in a care home.

-People who have a serious or long-term illness including heart or lung conditions, diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson's disease or some mental health conditions.

-People who are on multiple medicines that may make them more likely to be badly affected by hot weather.

-Those who may find it hard to keep cool –babies and the very young, the bed bound, those with drug or alcohol addictions or with Alzheimer's disease.

-People who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places –those who live in a top-floor flat, the homeless or those whose jobs are outside.

Tips for coping in hot weather

-Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter.

-Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes.

-Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.

More information: DW

I hate summer, to be honest. 

I hate dressing. I hate the heat. 

I hate sweaty people getting aggressively close to you 

when you're walking down the street.

Johnny Weir