The Dangers of Heat Stress HOW FANS IMPROVE SAFETY DURING THE HOTTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR Prepared by: Paul Murray, Optimum Safety Management And Scott S. Moody, Big Ass Solutions
The Dangers of Heat Stress How fans improve safety during the hottest months of the year By: Paul Murray, Optimum Safety Management and Scott S. Moody, Big Ass Solutions Summer is here, which means businesses of all kinds will be turning to fans to keep workers cool and happy, because happy workers are productive workers. In fact, according to the Center for the Built Environment, temperature, air quality and noise are the three most important factors when considering productivity. However, lost productivity is not the only problem caused by heat as the temperature increases, so does the likelihood of heat-related illness. Hot weather is responsible for more hospital visits and fatalities than any other weather-related source, and recent statistics suggest it carries heavy human and financial costs for U.S. employers. In 2013, for example, there were 16,320 reports of heat illness so serious it resulted in days away from work, according to the U.S. Office of Compliance the organization responsible for safety compliance within the legislative branch of the US government. The same year, 38 heat-related occupational fatalities were reported. Additionally, a 2014 CDC report indicates that 20 cases of heat illness were cited for federal enforcement in 2012-2013 13 of these cases involved a worker death, and seven were non-fatal but involved two or more employees. And from 2001 to 2010, more than 28,000 hospitalizations related to heat illness occurred in 20 states participating in a CDC tracking program. While federal agencies don t set a maximum safe temperature for workers, employers are responsible for protecting workers from extreme heat. OSHA requires employers to provide safe working environments for their workers, and failure to do so can result in fines and other enforcement action. Most of the enforcement actions against U.S. employers related to heat illnesses are levied under Section 5 of the OSH Act, known as the General Duty Clause, which states that each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards. Heat illness is one such recognized hazard, and in the vast majority of cases it is preventable with education and minor precautions on the part of employers. There are a number of factors that employers need to be aware of, and which will allow them to take the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of heat illnesses. For example, operations involving high air temperatures, high humidity, direct physical contact with hot objects, or strenuous physical activities create a greater potential for inducing heat stress. Other factors are unique to each employee and can affect a person s sensitivity to heat, such as an employee s age, weight, degree of physical fitness, degree of acclimatization, metabolism, use of alcohol or drugs, and a variety of medical conditions. There are many ways to reduce or delay the onset of heat illness that vary in cost and ease of installation. Fans are one of the most cost effective and simplest options, and when used properly, can significantly reduce heat illness incidents in the workplace.
HOW HEAT ILLNESS AFFECTS YOU The human body functions best at a body temperature of about 98 F, and so our bodies radiate excess heat to maintain our optimum body temperature. Heat dissipation is sped up by perspiration, which is why we sweat more when the air gets hotter, or our metabolic rate increases. When the outdoor temperature rises, when workers exert themselves, or when the air becomes humid and saturated with moisture, it becomes more difficult for our bodies to dissipate excess heat. When our bodies can t maintain our optimum body temperature, heat illness occurs. Heat illness causes a variety of problems ranging from rashes to lethargy to death. Heat-related illness takes three primary forms: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The following symptoms should be addressed immediately, before they become more significant, and potentially fatal. Heat Cramps are usually caused by performing hard physical labor in a hot environment. These cramps have been attributed to an electrolyte imbalance caused by sweating, which depletes the body s salt and moisture levels. Symptoms include: Muscle cramps, pain, or spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs Heat Exhaustion is the body s response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through sweating. Heat exhaustion should not be dismissed lightly for several reasons. One is that the fainting associated with heat exhaustion can be extremely dangerous if the victim is operating machinery. Furthermore, the victim may be injured when he or she faints. Other symptoms of heat exhaustion: Rapid heartbeat and profuse sweating Extreme weakness or fatigue Dizziness, nausea, vomiting Elevated body temperature Heat stroke is a medical emergency and the most serious form of heat-related illness. Heat stroke occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature, which can cause death or permanent disability. Symptoms include: High body temperature Confusion and loss of coordination Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating Throbbing headache Seizures, coma Pre-emptive and first aid measures including acclimatization, worker monitoring programs, fluid replacement, reduced physical demands and intermittent rest periods - will address the symptoms, of course, but there are several proactive measures that must be considered to prevent heat illness. Among them is the use of fans to maintain a constant airflow, which makes the body s natural cooling process more efficient.
How Fans Help Heat leaves our body more quickly when a breeze is present. Fans Create airflow that quickly evaporates perspiration from our skin, carrying away heat. The airflow also reduces the thickness of the hot, humid layer of insulating air that builds up around our bodies, which improves heat dissipation. In short, fans make our natural cooling mechanisms more efficient fans cool people, not rooms. Though fans don t lower the actual air temperature, they do create a wind-chill factor, that makes us feel as though they do. According to Kentucky-based fan manufacturer Big Ass Fans, airflow from their products creates a perceived cooling effect of up to 10 F. That means when the temperature reaches 77 F, which is where studies show productivity starts to rapidly decline, Big Ass Fans can make workers feel much cooler. The cooling effect diminishes as the air temperature increases. However, a common misconception is that fans don t provide a cooling benefit when the air is above 98 F. As long as the person is sweating and the air isn t 100% saturated with humidity, airflow can still provide evaporative cooling. Combined with other precautions, like taking frequent breaks and drinking water regularly, fans can drastically delay the onset of heat illness symptoms. However, when the later stages of heat-related illness set in, often the victim stops sweating. In that case, airflow alone should not be used to attempt to treat the symptoms if the air temperature is above body temperature. The best course of action should be to cool the victim down as quickly as possible, such as by dousing them in ice water or moving them to an air conditioned area. Fans can augment either of those strategies blowing cold air over a person can reverse the effects of heat illness quicker than air conditioning alone. And, after dousing the person, a fan can be used to evaporate moisture from the skin to create an increased cooling effect. Some fans can do more than simply creating airflow. For example, Big Ass Fans misting fans combine water and airflow, which is one of the most effective methods for both preventing and reversing heat illness in outdoor working environments such as construction sites, agriculture operations, mining and industrial dock areas. Big Ass Fans misting fans create a mist so fine that the droplets are measured in microns, which is smaller than a red blood cell. The miniscule droplets evaporate instantly, producing an immediate reduction in air temperature of up to 25 F. Why Big Ass? The larger the fan, the greater the area it can cover with the minimum amount of energy use. Big Ass Fans makes fans ranging from 8 feet to 24 feet in diameter those on the larger end can easily provide enough airflow to cover 20,000 square feet or more. In large, open workspaces, air conditioning is often too costly and wasteful to consider, and small fans only provide direct airflow to individual workers. A single Big Ass Fan provides enough coverage that everyone feels the breeze. Additionally, the company offers a wide range of fans to meet any need, including large, overhead room fans; smaller, high-speed misters; and even massive fans on wheels that go indoors or out. Big Ass Fans also take the burden of fan operation off the user and automate it based on temperature, the users comfort preferences, and other factors, using unique controls that they have developed.
Big Ass Fans, www.bigassfans.com/, is a direct-sales business that designs, manufactures, sells, installs and services their products. By being in constant contact with their customers and investing twice the industry average in research and development, the company guarantees that each product they create addresses a specific need of a real customer. Big Ass Fans is serious about its mission to keep people cool in an environmentally responsible way. Why Optimum Safety Management? Compliance but not just compliance. Tools but not just tools. Systems but not just systems. We create safety awareness in leadership, and assist making safety a core part of your company s culture. Our Team Approach to Safety is the essence of the sum is greater than the parts formula. In a world that focuses on financial bottom lines, production quotas and expectations, integrating safety into your culture and core values isn t possible by focusing on inspections and training alone. And while leadership talking about safety is critical, without efficient, scalable, sustainable systems, the effort becomes overwhelming and results falter.at least until the next speech. Here is what we often see in corporate America: 1. Minimal safety budgets 2. Safety systems being cobbled together 3. Systems that are not integrated with other parts of the business 4. Systems that inhibit, instead of facilitate conversations 5. Systems that are people dependent - take out Joe or Mary and there is no functional, sustainable system At Optimum, we do things differently. We lead the way forward with our subject matter experts, and become co-leaders with you, providing the state-of-the-art infrastructure necessary to provide a ROI on safety with a sustainable basis. If you d like to take your company s safety program to a higher level, contact us for our proprietary Safety Management System Assessment Service. We begin by measuring 30 key indicators to identify gaps and opportunities to improve your employees safety while minimizing your financial risk. Optimum Safety Management, www.oshasafetymanagement.com/, is a full- service safety consulting firm located outside of Chicago in Naperville, Illinois, serving clients both regionally and nationally. Optimum represents clients in many different work environments and industries including construction, industrial & manufacturing, business services, and healthcare enterprises. Paul Murray, Director of Enterprise Safety Management at Optimum Safety Management, is a safety professional serving in the capacity of business development and consulting with enterprise level companies. He can be reached at 630-759-9908 or pmurray@optimum-usa.com. Scott Moody, Business Development Manager at Big Ass Fans, oversees development and growth of industrial market solutions. He can be reached at 813-352-0176 or scott.moody@bigasssolutions.com.