Safety Tips for Dealing With Excessive Heat

The above graphic shows the Misery Index for the peak heating period later this afternoon. red shows areas where the combination of temperature and humidity will make it feel from 85 to 014 degrees Fahrenheit. Yellow shows locations where it will feel warmer than that. As with any image embedded on this website, click the image to enlarge.

Today and the next few days will be the hottest of the season so far, so here are some general safety tips for dealing with excessive heat from the National Weather Service:

• Slow down: reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Children, seniors and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
• Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, loose fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
• Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, put it in a cooler or carry an ice pack. Don’t leave it sitting in the sun. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
• Drink plenty of water (not very cold), non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty. If you on a fluid restrictive diet or have a problem with fluid retention, consult a physician before increasing consumption of fluids. 
• Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries.
• Use portable electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air.
• Do not direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than 90°F. The dry blowing air will dehydrate you faster, endangering your health.
• Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to dissipate heat.
• Take a cool bath or shower.
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
• Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat. Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia.  Keep your children, disabled adults, and pets safe during tumultuous heat waves.
• Don’t leave valuable electronic equipment, such as cell phones and gps units, sitting in hot cars.
• Make sure rooms are well vented if you are using volatile chemicals.

• Touch a child’s safety seat and safety belt before using it to ensure it’s not too hot before securing a child
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down, even for just a minute
• Teach children not to play in, on, or around cars. They could accidentally trap themselves in a hot vehicle.
• Always lock car doors and trunks–even at home–and keep keys out of children’s reach.
• Always make sure children have left the car when you reach your destination. Don’t leave sleeping infants in the car ever.

• Assess locations with vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes and public housing
• Staff additional emergency medical personnel to address the anticipated increase in demand
• Shift and expand homeless intervention services to cover daytime hours
• Open cooling centers to offer relief for people without air conditioning and urge the public to use them.
• Provide toll-free numbers and Website addresses such as this one for heat exposure symptoms and responses
• Open hotlines to report concerns about individuals who may be at risk
• Coordinate broadcasts of excessive heat events response information in newspapers and on television and radio.

• Drink water often
• Rest and cool down in the shade during breaks
• Gradually increase workload and allow more frequent breaks for new workers or workers who have been away for a week or more
• Know symptoms, prevention, and emergency response to prevent heat-related illness and death  
• Check weather forecasts ahead of time to be better prepared.

DAY SPONSOR

Carrion Tree Service is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for today. they are a fully licensed and insured tree service, specializing in dangerous tree removal, view clearing, pruning, and crane services with a 24 Hour emergency response.

Their phone number is 371-4718. They are located at 120 Depot Street.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.

WEATHER SPONSOR

Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your with your next project.

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