THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 22, 1995 TAG: 9507220282
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JASON HIDALGO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Jesse Capps wiped off the sweat trickling down his forehead as the sound of several pounding hammers boomed in the background.
Capps, a roofer for Waymar Inc., supervises a crew of eight other workers who are replacing shingles on a red-brick house in Chesapeake.
``It's a rough job,'' Capps said, constantly wiping his reddened body with a white sweat-soaked shirt. ``Most of the time, you're working out in the heat, which takes a lot out of you.''
Dealing with the excruciating heat, however, is only half the story for tradespeople like Capps. Working in high temperatures heightens the risk of heat stress - a disorder that ranges from simple heat exhaustion to the often fatal heat stroke.
With summer temperatures peaking over 100 degrees as a heat wave scorches most of the East Coast, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently distributed guidelines reminding businesses, such as construction, laundromats and bakeries, to protect their employees from heat stress.
``We have been receiving a lot of calls from people complaining about the heat in their workplace,'' said Deborah Crawford, public affairs specialist for OSHA. ``We want to remind employers to take the necessary precautions to alleviate heat stress on the job.''
The body usually gets rid of heat either by sweating or by increasing blood circulation to the skin which, in turn, increases skin temperature and allows heat to pass through it.
When the body's mechanisms fail, however, heat is stored instead. As the body's temperature rises and the heart rate increases, a person will start to lose concentration and will have difficulty focusing on a task. A person may also become irritable, sick and lose the desire todrink.
Failure to alleviate heat stress may cause fainting or even death.
To prevent heat stress, OSHA recommends the following:
Reduce heat in the workplace with proper ventilation and cooling equipment. Appropriate protective clothing should also be provided.
Have alternating work and rest periods. Schedule heavy work during cooler parts of the day, if possible.
Drink plenty of water, as much as a quart per hour. Also, have a sports beverage or other electrolyte solution handy to replenish lost salts.
Allow workers to adjust to the heat with short exposuresto it, followed by longer periods of work. New employees and those returning to the job after a two-week absence should be given five days to adjust.
Educate employees on how to recognize and treat heat stress.
Employers also should consider a person's physical condition to determine his or her ability to work in hot environments. Workers who are old, obese or under some types of medication are at greater risk. MEMO: Heat exhaustion happens when a person fails to replace fluids and
salts lost through sweating. A person may experience fatigue, giddiness,
nausea or headache and can have pale, clammy skin. Victims should rest
in a cool place and drink water or an electrolyte solution like sports
beverages. Severe cases may require medical supervision.
Heat cramps or painful muscle spasms occur when workers drink large
quantities of water but fail to replace lost salts. Salts can be
replaced by drinking an electrolyte solution. Workers can also drink
saline solutions if medically advised.
Fainting may occur when someone hasn't adjusted to the heat. Victims
usually recover quickly after a brief period of lying down. Moving
around will usually reduce the possibility of fainting.
Heat rash, or prickly heat, may occur in hot, humid environments
which hinder the evaporation of sweat. Extensive or infected heat rash
inhibits sleep and may lead to temporary disability. It can be prevented
by resting in a cool place and allowing the skin to dry.
Heat stroke is the most serious of all heat disorders. It occurs when
sweating stops and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat.
Symptoms include a body temperature of 106 degrees or higher; red,
mottled or bluish skin; and delirium, convulsions, loss of consciousness
or a coma. Victims may die if not treated. Prompt first aid, like
soaking the victim's clothes with cool water, and vigorous fanning can
prevent permanent injury to the brain and other vital organs.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Bill Tiernan, Staff
A roofer for Waymar Inc., Paul Gizinski of Virginia Beach, works on
a Chesapeake home Friday afternoon. Gizinski has been doing roof
work for the past five years.
KEYWORDS: HEAT EXHAUSTION by CNB