Summer 2024

Playing it Cool: How to Recognize, Prevent, & Reduce Heat Illnesses

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States. Heat can be very strenuous on the body and everyone can be vulnerable to heat related illnesses. 

Excessive heat aggravates existing health conditions like asthma, kidney failure and heart disease, and can cause heat stroke and even death if not treated properly. Workers in both outdoor and indoor work settings without adequate climate controls are at risk of hazardous heat exposure. There are four types of heat illnesses: heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Signs and symptoms of a medical emergency: 

• Abnormal thinking or behavior
• Slurred speech
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness

If any of these signs or symptoms occur call 911 immediately, cool the person right away with water or ice and stay with them until help arrives.

There are several ways to prevent or reduce heat related illnesses. The following are ways to protect yourself and others:

• Drink cool water
• Take rest breaks
• Find shade or a cool area
• Dress for the heat
• Watch out for each other

OSHA encourages water, rest and shade as prevention as well as treatment for heat-related illness. Supervisors can encourage workers in warm environments to drink hydrating fluids. At a minimum, all supervisors and workers should receive training about heat-related symptoms and first aid. To learn more, visit osha.gov/heat-exposure.

Tips for Safe 'Fourth' Fireworks

Every summer people look forward to celebrating America’s birthday by buying and lighting fireworks. For this special celebration, firework sales at licensed seasonal retailers are legal in Missouri from June 20 to July 10; the Division of Fire Safety issues more than 1,200 permits to these retailers each year. Even if these retailers are open and selling, before purchasing and/or lighting fireworks be aware of your local laws regarding drought, wind warnings and legalization in city limits.

Before lighting fireworks, have a plan on where your festivities are going to take place. Spectators should be positioned far away from where the fireworks are being lit. Light one firework at a time in a large open space, ensuring all flammable materials are cleared from the area. Fireworks not only can injure people, but can also start fires.

Fireworks pose a risk of not only injuring ourselves, but others. The parts of the body that are most often injured by fireworks are (1) hands and fingers, (2) legs, (3) eyes, (4) head, face, and ears, and (5) arms. According to data collected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, in 2022, 324 people in Missouri sought hospital care related to fireworks, with 292 of those treated in emergency rooms and released and 32 admitted to the hospital.

Injuries do not only occur to adults. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that young children from 5-9 years of age had the second highest estimated rate of ER visits. The Missouri age of purchase for fireworks is 14 years of age, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

In effort to help keep everyone safe this Fourth of July, please keep the following rules in mind.

DO

• Follow the directions that are printed on or with the firework
• Place fireworks on even ground, ignite, then move to a safe viewing distance
• Keep a bucket of water, hose and/or fire extinguisher nearby
• Place cooled off fireworks in a bucket of water
• Have a first-aid kit readily available
• If older kids are permitted to partake, they should have close adult supervision

DON’T

• Hold the firework in your hand
• Attempt to reignite a firework that fails to go off the first time
• Point fireworks at anyone or anything
• Handle while intoxicated
• Allow young children to play or light fireworks, even sparklers
• Alter fireworks in any way, or keep them from season to season
  
  

Protecting Against Hearing Loss

Hearing loss cannot be cured or reversed but it can be prevented. Gradually happening over time, one may not realize hearing loss is taking place until it’s too late. Noise can affect the body temporarily or cause permanent life altering changes. The associated stressors may include impaired dexterity, decreased performance and production, weakened mental performance, sleep disturbance and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. A recent study found that workers continuously exposed to noise hazards could be two to three times more likely to suffer from serious heart disease.

Four critical risk factors are associated with noise hazards. They include but are not limited to the following:

• Duration
• Distribution
• Frequency
• Noise level

Other factors which may be considered are:

• Age
• Coexisting hearing disease
• Environment
• Distance from the source
• Ear position related to sound waves

According to OSHA, exposure to noise less than 80 decibels (dB) is considered safe, and a time-weighted average of 85 dB over an eight-hour period is the maximum exposure to be safely tolerated without protection.

There are some basic requirements listed in OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.95 regarding a hearing conservation program:

• Monitoring noise to determine if a hazard exists,
• Determining the extent of noise interference with speech or warning signals,
• Identifying workers who should be included in a hearing program,
• Classifying the noise exposure,
• Evaluating noise sources and control efforts.

The use of engineering tools/concepts and administrative controls is necessary. Some examples include:

• Reduction of noise source,
• Interruption of the noise pathway,
• Reduction of reverberation and structure-borne vibration.

Another necessity that measures the hearing threshold of workers is audiometric evaluation. This determines whether a hearing loss program is effective. For best results, audiograms should be done before employment, prior to working in a known noisy work area, annually if continually working in a noisy area, at time of reassignment, and at termination of employment. 

Hearing protection is a requirement with a choice of electronic earmuffs, passive earmuffs, active hearing devices and earplugs. Education and recordkeeping are crucial to OSHA’s hearing protection program. Using a program that is accurate, complete, and validated by employees is vital to the program’s success.

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