Pennsylvania has been experiencing record temperature highs, with the temperatures expected to stay high through most of the week. Our wildland firefighters must be mindful of heat while they are working on a wildfire, however the safety considerations they should be mindful of aren’t much different than what we should be considering during these high heat index days.
First and foremost, what is the heat index? Well, it’s what
the temperature feels like to our body when relative humidity combines with air
temperature. This plays a factor in how the body regulates its comfort. Our
bodies sweat to cool us down, however if the body can’t sweat it can’t regulate
our temperature. When the relative humidity is HIGH the rate of sweat evaporation
slows, but when the relative humidity is LOW, evaporation increases.
To prevent heat related illnesses:
- Drink before feeling thirsty. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already behind on fluid replacement.
- Drink one cup of water every 15-20 minutes. Drinking at short intervals is more effective than drinking larger amounts infrequently.
- Wear loose light-colored clothing.
- Take breaks in cool areas.
- Plan strenuous tasks during cooler parts of the day.
- Try to avoid drinking soda, coffee, energy drinks and alcohol, even after work.
The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool can be accessed here.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group has a series called
6 Minutes for Safety that focuses on firefighter safety. Here is what their
6MFS says about Heat Stress:
“During activity, the body
releases more than 70 percent of the energy used by muscles as heat. As a
result, heat loss is crucial to prevent an excessive rise in body temperature
during firefighting activities. If heat exchange between the body and the
environment is impaired, such as in hot or humid environments, firefighter
performance can be substantially impaired.
A
heat-related illness (HRI) is a potentially fatal disorder caused by elevated
body temperatures from internal heat produced by activity or external
environmental heat added to the body that cannot be removed to maintain normal
body temperature.
Symptoms of
an HRI may be difficult to recognize and may occur in no particular
order. They may include:
- Profuse
sweating with cool, clammy skin leading to hot, dry skin.
- Muscle
cramps and weakness.
- Dizziness,
headache, and irritability.
- Rapid,
weak pulse.
- Vomiting.
- Loss of consciousness.
If you suspect a heat illness, stop
work and begin treatments to cool down the body, and consider further
procedures.
Considerations
for mitigation during firefighting activity:
- Ability to handle heat is
different between individuals and varies on a daily basis.
- Performing physical tasks, such
as hiking or digging fireline, is our largest producer of body heat.
- Hiking typically raises your
body temperature 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
- At elevated body temperatures,
the risk of HRI has a lesser margin of error.
- Maintain low skin temperature
when possible, as it allows heat transfer from the body.
- Pack weights exceeding 25 percent
of body weight add to the body’s demands during activity.
- Recovery
of high body temperature requires:
- Reduction
of work output.
- Removal
from sources of heat.
- Proper
nutrition and hydration strategies.”
