Heat-related illnesses: the role of the occupational and environmental health nurse.
Heat-related illnesses can occur in workplaces where hot environments pose a threat to at-risk workers. Operations involving high air temperatures and humidity, radiant heat sources, direct physical contact with hot objects, or strenuous physical activities have potential for inducing heat stress in employees engaged in job functions in specific industries. Exposure to high temperatures can lead to a progression of symptoms in the body, which can result in widespread tissue damage, organ damage, and even death if not treated in a timely and effective manner. Strategies to reduce the effects of heat in the workplace include engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. Occupational and environmental health nurses must be able to recognize and treat the broad range of symptoms that can result from exposure to high temperatures. They must work together with interdisciplinary teams to provide training and education to the work force so that workers are able to take appropriate measures to prevent the onset of a heat-related illness, recognize the early symptoms, and seek treatment. Interdisciplinary teams must ensure that appropriate controls in the work environment reduce the risk of heat exposure and related heat stress disorders. Education and early intervention are key to avoiding heat-induced illness and eliminating or minimizing the effects of high temperature environments.
North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center and Occupational Health Nursing Program, University of North Carolina, School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Bonnie
B
Rogers
Kristin
K
Stiehl
Jennifer
J
Borst
Andrea
A
Hess
Shauna
S
Hutchins
D000389:Air Conditioning; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006804:Ergonomics; D005161:Facility Regulation and Control; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011481:Protective Clothing; D012307:Risk Factors; D013696:Temperature; D020711:Threshold Limit Values; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration; D017132:Workplace