Heat

__**Heat Stroke **__ Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related disorder. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given. Symptoms of heat stroke include: Take the following steps to treat a worker with heat stroke:  Heat exhaustion is the body's response to an excessive loss of the water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Workers most prone to heat exhaustion are those that are elderly, have high blood pressure, and those working in a hot environment. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: Treat a worker suffering from heat exhaustion with the following:
 * Symptoms **
 * Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
 * Hallucinations
 * Chills
 * Throbbing headache
 * High body temperature
 * Confusion/dizziness
 * Slurred speech
 * First Aid **
 * Call 911 and notify their supervisor.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Move the sick worker to a cool shaded area.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Cool the worker using methods such as:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Soaking their clothes with water.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Spraying, sponging, or showering them with water.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Fanning their body.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18px;">__Heat Exhaustion__ **
 * Symptoms **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Heavy sweating
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Extreme weakness or fatigue
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dizziness, confusion
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Nausea
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Clammy, moist skin
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pale or flushed complexion
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Muscle cramps
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Slightly elevated body temperature
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Fast and shallow breathing
 * First Aid **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Have them rest in a cool, shaded or air-conditioned area.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Have them drink plenty of water or other cool, nonalcoholic beverages.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Have them take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.

Heat Syncope <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Heat syncope is a fainting (syncope) episode or dizziness that usually occurs with prolonged standing or sudden rising from a sitting or lying position. Factors that may contribute to heat syncope include dehydration and lack of acclimatization. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Symptoms of heat syncope include: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Workers with heat syncope should:
 * Symptoms **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Light-headedness
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dizziness
 * Fainting
 * First Aid **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sit or lie down in a cool place when they begin to feel symptoms.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Slowly drink water, clear juice, or a sports beverage.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Heat cramps usually affect workers who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. This sweating depletes the body's salt and moisture levels. Low salt levels in muscles causes painful cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat exhaustion. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Muscle pain or spasms usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Workers with heat cramps should:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18px;">Heat Cramps **
 * Symptoms **
 * First Aid **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Stop all activity, and sit in a cool place.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Drink clear juice or a sports beverage.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Do not return to strenuous work for a few hours after the cramps subside because further exertion may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Seek medical attention if any of the following apply:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The worker has heart problems.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The worker is on a low-sodium diet.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The cramps do not subside within one hour.