SAFETY NEWSLETTER JUNE EDITION 2015/16, Issue 7 June 7, 2016 Working in Hot Conditions INSID E THI S ISSU E : Monthly Topic Working in Hot Conditions During Hot Weather 1 Heat Related Illnesses 2 The Dirty Dozen 3 Identifying Fatigue 3 Recurrent Training 4 Summer Safety Reminders 4 Reporting Unsafe Equipment 4 Thirsty Maze 5 Color Me! 6 Aviation Humor 6 Which One Are You? 6 The summer season is just around the corner. Some of us are already feeling the effects of summer. The summer brings us sun and warmer weather and in some parts of the region, it can even bring some unstable weather, like thunder storms and hurricanes. But for most it brings rising temperatures. As temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat illness, a medical condition that results from the body s inability to cope with the heat and cooling itself, and in some of the severe cases, it can even be fatal. Though most cases of heat illness are nonfatal, we all must prepare ourselves and condition our body s to work in the summer months. People suffer heat-related illness when their bodies are unable to compensate and properly cool themselves. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but under some conditions sweating just isn t enough. In such cases, a person s body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs. Several factors affect the body s ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather. When the humidity is high, sweat will not evaporate as quickly, preventing the body from releasing heat quickly. Other conditions related to risk include age, obesity, fever, dehydration, and poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drugs. The best defense against heat illness is prevention and awareness. Whether you work indoors or out, heat can cause serious health problems. As temperatures increase, your risk of developing a heat related illness increases. So it s important to know the signs and the effects of working in hot conditions can cause. This is also known as heat stress. Heat stress can result in a range of problems from skin rashes and light-headedness to convulsions and unconsciousness. Early symptoms of heat stress, such as excessive fatigue, irritability, lack or co-ordination, and altered judgment which can also result in accidents. During Hot Weather To protect your health when temperatures are extremely high, remember to keep cool and use common sense. The following tips are important: Drink Plenty of Fluids During hot weather you will need to increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level. Don t wait until you re thirsty to drink. During heavy exercise in a hot environment, drink two to four glasses (16 32 ounces) of cool fluids each hour. Replace Salt and Minerals Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body. These are necessary for your body and must be replaced. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. However, if you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets.
During Hot Weather continued Wear Appropriate Clothing and Sunscreen Here is yet another simple strategy to preventing heat illness. Encourage your employees to wear loose fitting, light colored clothing when working in hot environments. Wearing widebrimmed hats and bandanas can help keep the sun rays from your skin. Employees can order ATS baseball style hats from Incentex; just ask your supervisor or manager for details. These hats come with the ATS logo. Other options are a solid dark color Australian Outback shade hats, but they cannot have any logo other than an ATS logo. Stay Cool in the Shade Providing shade if applicable in your work environment can also help combat the effects of heat stress. Take rest breaks in the shade or indoors to cool down after working outside. Adjusting to the heat Be aware that any sudden change in temperature, such as an early summer heat wave, will be stressful to your body. You will have a greater tolerance for heat if you limit your physical activity until you become accustomed to the heat. It may take a person a week or longer to become acclimated to working in hot environments. Your body needs time to adapt to increased heat and humidity, especially if you are engaged in heavy physical exertion. Rotate Job Positions Rotating job assignments is also a great best practice for workers in hot environments. Remember employees need breaks from the sun and rotating assignments with agents in bag rooms or cargo bins can be one way to rotating assignments in your operation. Heat Related Illnesses Even short periods of high temperatures can cause serious health problems. Doing too much on a hot day, spending too much time in the sun or staying too long in an overheated place can cause heat-related illnesses. Know the symptoms of heat disorders and overexposure to the sun, and be ready to give first aid treatment. Heat Cramps Heat cramps are painful muscle cramps caused by losing too much salt through sweating; they are usually the result of heavy exercise or physical work in a 2 P a g e hot environment. Heat cramps usually occur in the muscles that have been used the most strenuously, such as those in the legs and abdomen. The cramps typically occur late in a work shift or after the muscles have cooled (for example, during a shower after work). These cramps can be cured by rest and messaging the area effected by cramps. Heat exhaustion is the results from loss of fluid through sweating when a worker has failed to drink enough fluids or take in enough salt or both. A person with heat exhaustion will still sweat but will experience extreme weakness or fatigue, giddiness, nausea, or headaches. Your skin will be clammy and moist, and the complexion will be pale or flushed, and your body temperature will be normal or slightly higher. Fainting may occur if you are not acclimated to the heat or the hot environment. Heat Rash also known as prickly heat; may occur in hot and humid environments where sweat is not easily removed from the surface of your skin by evaporation. Heat Stroke the most serious health problem for anybody working in hot environments. Heat stroke is caused by the failure of the body s internal mechanism to regulate its core temperature. Sweating stops and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Signs include (1) mental confusion, delirium, loss of consciousness, convulsions or coma; (2) the body temperature of 106 degrees F or higher; and (3) hot dry skin which may be red, blotchy, or bluish. Victims of heat stroke can die unless treated promptly.
Human Factors: The Dirty Dozen 1. Lack of Communication 2. Complacency 3. Lack of Knowledge 4. Distraction 5. Lack of Teamwork 6. Fatigue Take 2 7. Lack of Resources 8. PRESSURE 9. Lack of Assertiveness 10. Stress 11. Lack of Awareness 12. Norm There are many factors that lead to an incident. The Dirty Dozen and the four Safety Nets below will help prevent the Dirty Dozen from making a visit to your operation. PRESSURE can affect everyone that is servicing an aircraft. Here are a few Safety Nets to help with eliminating pressure in your operation: Always take the time to complete a task safely. Be assertive; know when to say NO. Always conduct a Plane Talk Huddle for any aircraft movement (Arrival, Push Back, or Tow). FOLLOW THE CORRECT PROCEDURES! Don t take short cuts. Identifying Fatigue Fatigue is the condition of being physical or mentally tired or exhausted. Extreme fatigue can lead to uncontrolled and involuntary shutdown of the brain. Here are some things to look for in yourself and your coworkers to help indentify fatigue. Everyone needs your help, because in most cases, people who are under significant fatigue can t identify it themselves. These include: Their job performance slows; Their job quality is reduced; They can t recall their last thought, conversation, or what they did a moment ago; They have trouble solving problems; They have trouble focusing; They make errors; They have a near-miss incident; The head droops; They can t stop yawning. When you re fatigued you will make errors in judgment. Your mind or eyes can be off task and you can make a critical error. 3 P a g e
Summer Safety Reminder Summer is a great time for enjoying water sports, grilling, picnics, and other fun activities, but it also brings some safety hazards. Understanding the safety topics that apply to summer will help you keep your family safe and have fun at the same time. Here are just a few Summer Safety reminders for you and your family both at work and at home. Beat the Heat Whether you are working or playing outside in the summer, anybody not accustomed to the heat is at risk for a heat related illness. Water Safety - Water is another source of summer fun and another hazard. According to statics, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under four years. Supervise the little ones around any pool, lake or beaches. Summer Grilling Safety - From lighting a grill to cooking meat to the proper temperature, outdoor cooking safety is another important topic to cover during the summer. Safety Reminder: Reporting Unsafe Equipment When a piece of equipment is found to be unsafe, the unit must be tagged and placed out of service. Fill out the ATS Out Of Service tag and fasten it to the steering wheel or tongue of the unit. Turn the top copy to the GSE mechanic and the yellow copy to the ATS manager. The red hard copy will remain on the vehicle to alert others of the equipment safety issue. Once the unit has been properly tagged, then you must also write up any and all equipment discrepancies on the ATS Equipment Discrepancy Log. Also notify your supervisor of these discrepancies. Remember: an INOP seatbelt is a No-Go item. The equipment must be immediately tagged out and not operated until the seatbelt is repaired. 4 P a g e
Drink Plenty of Fluids During hot weather you will need to increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level. Don t wait until you re thirsty to drink. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps. Your best defense against heat-related illness is prevention. Staying cool and making simple changes in your fluid intake, activities, and clothing during hot weather can help you to remain safe and healthy. 5 P a g e
Color Me! Aviation Humor Question: What is a pilot s favorite flavor of potato chip / crisp? Answer: Plain. 6 P a g e
Airport Terminal Services Safety Department Tom Hubbard - Sr. Safety Manager thubbard@atsstl.com Derick Zimmerman - Safety Manager dzimmerman@atsstl.com Brock Lafond - Safety Manager blafond@atsstl.com Mike Batchelor - Safety Manager mbatchelor@atsstl.com For questions or comments contact the ATS Safety Department safety@atsstl.com 7 P a g e