Ask anyone who has spent time along the Gulf Coast from, say, May through September about the weather, and you’ll undoubtedly get the same answer: "it’s (insert favorite explicative here) hot."
Truth be told, this applies for most everyone living south of the Mason-Dixon line and east of California — the summer heat can be unbearable and, in many instances, downright dangerous. Think of Arizona in August.
The advent of "bought air" — air conditioning to non-Southerners or those younger than 40 — has revolutionized our homes and offices for the better. More importantly, it’s saved lives. According to the Washington Post, a 2012 study by a team of researchers from Tulane University, Carnegie Mellon University, the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, examined patterns in heat-related deaths between 1900 and 2004.
They found that "days on which temperatures rose above 90°F accounted for about 600 premature deaths annually between 1960 and 2004, one-sixth as many as would have occurred under pre-1960 conditions" — a more than 80% reduction in fatalities because of air conditioning.
These statistics are great if you work indoors, but what about those of us whose livelihoods require us to be exposed to the elements? What about the men and women working day shifts in temperatures above 90°F and 50% humidity day in and day out?
Our understanding of the physiological effects of heat stress and illness has advanced leaps and bounds from the early 20th century when, "go sip some water and sit under that shade tree" was the solution to overheating. OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Campaign provides excellent resources for employers and employees to educate themselves about the hazards of heat stress, along with prevention techniques and how to identify symptoms of heat illness and exposure. OSHA is even working on a heat injury and illness prevention rule for the workplace but is still engaged in the many steps of the rulemaking process.
Technology’s role in managing heat exposure
Fortunately, the technology exists for employers to take a proactive approach to managing and preventing heat exposure. Many industrial sites along the Gulf Coast are leading the way in implementing and evolving the monitoring technology that can help reduce heat-related illnesses. Yet one of the most interesting advancements comes not from a refinery, but from … Disney World.
During a recent conference, Greg Hale, VP and CEO for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, spoke about the company’s use of SyncLink® technology and predictive analytics for weather forecasting. While the Disney Weather Check system is advanced and provides real-time weather forecasting and alerts specific to one’s location, it was the heat-stress solutions that were truly eye-catching. Hale noted that Disney had worked with HeatGuardian to create a network of stations and sensors to monitor present heat and weather conditions.
Further, the system uses historical data to create a predictive model that alerts the EHS&S team of expected conditions which could jeopardize park customers and employees. This allows Disney to not only monitor potential heat illness hazards, but also provides employees with information on precautions to plan for the predicted conditions and to prevent illness.
Technology such as this, when combined with evolving heat-stress identification and prevention techniques, will prove critical as we seek to limit exposure to potentially unsafe conditions before illness occurs. Using historical and predictive data to pre-plan work schedules will ultimately help us reduce heat-related injury and illness among the workforce and save lives. At least until science figures out how to air condition the outdoors.
For more information, visit VPPPA.org.
