Dripping beads of sweat and getting a sunburn aren’t the only signs you’ve been spending too much time in the sun. New research shows the effects of heat and humidity are more far-reaching and affect more body systems than we realized.
Hypothermia is a condition caused by a general cooling of the body which drops a person’s internal core temperature below 98.6 degrees F. Most of us have experienced at least mild hypothermia when the body core temperature reaches 95 degrees F, which causes the body to shiver in efforts to generate more internal heat.
Heat may get the headlines, but a study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that cold weather is 20 times as deadly as hot weather. That study corroborates a U.S. study that found cold kills more than double the number of Americans as heat does.
As residents recover from the damage caused by the recent tornadoes and severe storms in Missouri and Kansas, OSHA is urging recovery workers, employers and the public to use caution during cleanup efforts. The agency urges all to be aware of hazards they may encounter, and steps needed to to stay safe and healthy.
Here are four things every employer should know in the winter: 1. What do I need to know about shoveling snow? Shoveling snow can be a strenuous activity, particularly because cold weather can be taxing on the body, and can create the potential for exhaustion, dehydration, back injuries, or heart attacks.