Six Cool Tips to Prevent Heat Illness and Fatigue
May 16, 2019
With summer around the corner and temperatures rising, it’s a good time to remember to take special care to prevent fatigue and heat illness. At CoolSys, your health and wellness are our top priority. That’s why we are bringing you these cool tips to stay safe:
Get Plenty of Rest
Your best defense against fatigue is to get enough rest on a regular basis.
Keep Drinking Water
While working in higher temperatures, you should drink water every 15 minutes. Do not wait until you feel thirsty. By that time, you are already down the path to dehydration.
Avoid Caffeine
To stay hydrated, limiting caffeine is also good plan. For every cup of coffee, you should drink a cup of water. This is just to break even, not taking into account work load or temperature. For energy drinks, it’s a six-to-one ratio. That means for every 16 oz. of energy drink, you should drink six 16 oz. glasses of water.
Stay Cool
Did you know that heat illness can occur anytime your body loses the ability to cool itself? It does not need to be extremely hot. Exertion and general health play a factor as well. However, when it is hot, this certainly increases your risk of heat illness. In periods of excessive heat, we encourage you to take breaks in shaded areas, or in an air-conditioned vehicle and to drink plenty of liquids.
Have It Made in the Shade
If you feel symptoms of heat illness (such as a light-headed feeling, headache or cramps), be sure to move into a shady area. If there is no shade nearby, you can always use your vehicle to take cover.
Take Care of Each Other
Monitor your coworkers to ensure that they are drinking adequate amounts of water based on the demands of the job and weather conditions.
Also, be on the lookout for signs of heat illness in your fellow workers. Once you’ve had heat illness, such as heat stroke, you’re more likely to have it again – and nobody wants that. So, please do what you can to prevent it in the first place.
We value you and want you to be safe. Stay cool out there, drink plenty of water, watch for signs of dehydration, and you’ll have it made in the shade.