At home & on the job, keeping our kids, grandparents & Fido healthy
Heatstroke (core body temperature greater than 40 degrees Celsius) is a risk for everyone, but children, pets, elderly, athletes and outdoor workers are most vulnerable. Called the silent killer, heat stroke is caused by a rapid increase in body temperature and inability to cool down by sweating. Evaporating sweat from our skin cools the body, but if humidity is high, sweat cannot evaporate. Wet Bulb Calculator (omnicalculator.com)
Our bodies try to cool down in situations of prolonged heat by pumping more blood to the skin surface. This deprives our core organs of blood and increases heart rate. People with heart conditions suffer faster. Dehydration from heat-induced sweating can happen in as little as half an hour and can cause kidney failure.
Exercising and doing physical labour in the heat raises the body temperature fast, and it is critical to find ways to cool down quickly. When the ability to sweat fails, it can take just ten minutes for internal body temperatures to exceed 40 C. Heat illness is the third leading cause of death in teenage athletes (behind accidents and heart causes).
There is no safe temperature or length of time a child is safe left in a car unattended. Even with an outside temperature of only 15 degrees Celsius, your car can heat to well above 37.7 C. A car can heat up more than 11 degrees Celsius in ten minutes. A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s and young children don’t have the same ability to produce sweat to cool off.
Outdoor workers must be given frequent shade breaks, hydration, and instruction about signs of heat exhaustion, and should be exempt from doing hard physical labour between 11 am and 3 pm. On April 22, 2024, the International Labour Organization (ILO) released this document, with estimates that over 2.4 billion workers (more than 70% of the global workforce) will endure excessive heat on the job.
Of the 12,000 annual heat-related deaths in the US, more than 80% are over 60 years (Climate Central). As Earth heats, these fatalities are expected to increase. Heat waves are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer, which can be particularly dangerous for older adults who may be less able to recognize when it’s too hot or if they’re dehydrated. Older adults also have reduced circulation systems and sweat less.
Pets must be provided with a way to stay cool. Older pets and dark-haired animals heat up faster, and cool down with more difficulty. Hairless dogs are at risk of sunburn.
Never leave a dog in a hot car.
Globally, heat related deaths are anticipated to increase 370 per cent by 2050.
Hours of lost labour is expected to reach 50% globally.
Tips for protecting you and your family from heat-related risks
General
- It's much too hot! Protect yourself from extreme heat - Canada.ca
- Extreme heat events: Overview - Canada.ca
- Staying Healthy in the Heat - Poster
- Heat Related Illnesses (cdc.gov) - Poster
- Three ways to protect you and your loved ones during an extreme heat event - Canada.ca
- Harmonized Heat Warning and Information
- Staying healthy in the heat - Canada.ca-video
- Who is at risk to extreme heat | HEAT.gov - National Integrated Heat Health Information System
- Extreme Heat | HKPR District Health Unit
- Extreme Heat (youtube.com) Centre for Disease Control
- Heat waves and extreme heat in Canada | Canadian Climate Institute
- Heat-related illnesses and sunburns - Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention
Home
- Home Heat Protection
- 8 Ways to Keep Your House and Rooms Cool This Summer | OVO Energy
- Avoiding vehicle-caused fires | Environment and Climate Change (gov.nt.ca)
- Infographic: Why Trees Are So Cool - Inside Climate News
- How to cool your house with fans - Bing Videos
- Neighbour Health Checklist - A Guide for In-Person or Remote Health Checks
Work
- Working in the heat. When is it too hot? - Poster
- Health and Safety: Hot Work Environment - Canada.ca
- Sun safety basics -Canada.ca
- Sunglasses - Canada.ca
- You're active in the heat. You're at risk! Protect yourself from extreme heat - Canada.ca - Pamphlets
- First aid advice for sunburn and heat illness - Canada.ca
- Ontario's Ministry of Labour proposing to introduce heat-stress regulations to better protect workers | CBC News
- New Heat Stress Regulation Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (ontariocanada.com)