With summer quickly approaching, temperatures and humidity rise, along with the chances of suffering from heat disorders. Don't fall victim to the blazing heat. There are many products available to help you stay cool during the summer days and nights. From cooling vests, to heat stress monitors, there are many ways to help you prevent suffering from heat disorders.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are six (6) main disorders caused from heat:
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Heatstroke: Occurs when the body's system of temperature regulation fails and body temperature rises to critical levels. Heatstroke is caused by a combination of highly variable factors, and its occurrence difficult to predict. Signs of heatstroke include: Confusion, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, convulsions, a lack of sweating (usually), hot, dry skin, and an abnormally high body temperature. NOTE: Heat stroke is a medical emergency.
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Heat Exhaustion: Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include: headache, nausea, vertigo, weakness, thirst, and giddiness.
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Heat Cramps: Usually caused by performing hard labor in a hot environment. Cramps have been attributed to an electrolyte imbalance caused by sweating. Excess salt can build up in the body if the water lost through sweating is not replaced.
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Heat Collapse (fainting): Occurs when the brain doesn't receive enough oxygen because blood pools in the extremities. May also cause loss of consciousness and the onset of heat collapse is rapid and unpredictable.
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Heat Rashes: This is the most common type of heat disorders. Produces red papules and usually appear in areas where clothing is restrictive. As sweating increases, these papules give rise to a prickling sensation. Prickly heat occurs in skin that is persistently wetted by unevaporated sweat and heat papules may become infected. In most cases, these papules will disappear when returned into a cool environment.
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Heat Fatigue: A factor of heat fatigue is a lack of acclimatization. Signs and symptoms include impaired performance of skilled sensory-motor, mental, or vigilance jobs.
In order to help reduce and prevent the risk of suffering from these heat disorders, investing in
heat stress relief products are your best bet. With many cooling products available to choose from for jobs that are preformed outdoors year round, you can help stay cool and stay healthy.
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Cooling Vests are a great way to stay cool. You can find vests that can be dipped in cold water, or filled with ice packs that keep you cool for up to four (4) hours.
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Cooling Bandanas are another way to keep cool by simply hydrating in cold water for a few minutes, then wearing around your neck. This is an easy, and economical way to keep cool and can be used thousands of times!
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Hard Hat Cooling Products like hard hat pads, pads with neck shade, cooling neck shade, sweatband with neck shade, and hard hat sweat bands are other great products to help keep cool. These hard hat products are designed for hard to reach, hard to cool workers heads, when wearing hard hats.
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Hard Hat Shades deliver important sun and heat protection to face, ears, neck and keeps annoying glare out of eyes. Shade at back of the neck facilitates cooling perspiration evaporation and helps keep workers comfortable.
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Sunscreen and Sunblock are where sun protection should begin. By using sunscreen and sunblock that is SPF 30+ and sweat and water proof, you can help prevent yourself from damaging UV Rays.
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Heat Stress Monitors allow you to monitor certain environmental factors that may contribute to heat stress. These monitors can determine if the potential for heat stress exists. Also measures ambient temperature, evaporative cooling including effects of air speed and humidity, and radiant heat load including air speed effects.
