HEAT INJURY PREVENTION
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid heavy meals
• Wear appropriate clothing
• Use sunscreen
• Keep areas well ventilated
• Schedule outdoor activities during the cooler part of the day
• Monitor those at risk
• Use common sense
HEAT CRAMPS
CAUSE
Excessive loss of salt from the body
SYMPTOMS
Painful cramps of the major muscle groups (arms, legs, or stomach)
TREATMENT
Provide cool water – shade – monitor
HEAT EXHAUSTION
CAUSE
Excessive loss of salt and water in the body
SYMPTOMS
Profuse sweating – headache – paleness – weakness – nausea – cool moist skin – tingling sensation in extremities
TREATMENT
Provide water – shade – elevate feet – monitor seek medical attention immediately
HEAT STROKE
CAUSE
The body’s heat regulatory mechanism stops
SYMPTOMS
Headache – dizziness – delirium – weakness – nausea – red, hot skin – unconsciousness
TREATMENT
MEDICAL EMERGENCY!! Cool shaded area – soak clothing and fan – elevate feet – massage extremities
Water Safety
Drownings
• Are a leading cause of death
• Most often occur during off-duty recreational swimming in unauthorized swimming areas after dark
• Frequently related to alcohol use
Be Safe around Water
Boating Mishaps
Most boating mishaps involve capsizing, falls overboard and collisions. About 90% of all fatalities are caused by drowning, and in nearly all cases personal floatation (PFD’s) were NOT used.
Water Safety Risk Management Pointer
Drinking + Water = Trouble
POV SAFETY
Factors that influence our risk:
• Speed
• Fatigue
• ALCOHOL
• Distractions
• Seatbelt Use
Vehicle accidents are #1 killer
Alcohol
The intoxicated driver is 15x more likely to be involved in a crash and to be fatally injured than a sober driver. About 48%of all traffic fatalities involve an intoxicated or alcohol impaired person.
Seatbelts
Seatbelts prevent deaths in 62% of all potentially fatal crashes. Add an air bag to the buckled seatbelt and you increase your odds of surviving the crash to 47%
Don’t take a Risk, wait to respond; they’ll thank you for it when you arrive, ALIVE!