DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Summer break has arrived and the “Hotlanta” metro area is pulling no punches, living up to its infamous name as the temperatures soar into the 90’s and tease the triple digits.
According to the National Weather Service, heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year and even more heat-related illnesses.
The 94th Airlift Wing places heat safety as a high priority, said Maj. Kyle Hosman, 94th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander.
Exposure to extreme heat can result in occupational illnesses and injuries. Heat stress can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or heat rashes, said Mark Weaver, 94th Airlift Wing safety office. Heat can also increase the risk of injuries in workers as it may result in sweaty palms, fogged-up safety glasses, and dizziness.
“We work through any and all conditions to maintain and make mission-ready the wing's eight assigned C-130H3 aircraft,” Hosman said. “The 94th AW wouldn't be much of a wing if we didn't have proficient aircrew and the only way to stay proficient is to fly, and we fly a lot.”
There are endless training requirements for the unit, and maintenance has to not only survive, but thrive in all weather conditions –including “Hotlanta’s” summers, he continued.
To add to that, humidity is also a danger with the heat.
“Temperatures and humidity are made considerably worse on an active flightline where the pavement, equipment and aircraft engines can increase temps by as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit,” Hosman commented. ”To protect our maintainers we monitor the weather forecast continually and alter our work schedule accordingly. When it gets hot, we'll push water, initiate rest-work cycles, and require our maintainers to work in pairs so as to watch for anyone in heat distress.”
Other workers at risk of heat stress include outdoor workers and workers in hot environments such as firefighters, bakery workers, farmers, construction workers, miners, boiler room workers, factory workers, Weaver added.
Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and-as the last extremity is reached-by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees.
Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation--and high relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain 98.6 degrees inside.
Heat disorders generally have to do with a reduction or collapse of the body's ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise and heat-related illness may develop.
Knowing how the body deals with excessive heat is critical in understanding the dangers to you and proper steps to take to prevent becoming a victim of excessive heat.
Tips for Staying Cool This Summer
- Be aware of the heat. Pay attention to it and modify your activities appropriately.
- Pay attention to your hydration status, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
- Try to stay in relatively cool areas, even when outside. Many public places such as libraries, shopping malls and movie theatres are air conditioned.
- Avoid hot enclosed places, such as cars. Never leave children unattended in a car parked in the sun.
- Use a fan, if available.
- Stay on the lowest floor of your building.
- Eat well-balanced, light and regular meals.
- Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothing.
- Cover windows that receive a significant amount of sun with drapes or shades to help keep your house cool.
- Weather stripping and proper insulation will keep cool air inside your home.
- Cool beverages are good for cooling down the body, while alcoholic drinks can impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature.
8 Signs of Heat Overexposure
- Heavy sweating. But if heat stroke sets in, the body can no longer compensate and stops sweating.
- Pale skin
- Muscle cramps
- Feeling tired and weak
- Altered mental status (confusion or disorientation)
- Headache
- Becoming semi-conscious, or passing out