Hello Brothers and Sisters,

I hope you and your families are well and are enjoying the summer season. I would like to congratulate Business Manager Michael Bowes, Line Officers, Executive Board, Guard and Conductor, on their recent nominations. I would also like to congratulate the 2025 graduating class of apprentices.

Now that summer is here, I would like to remind everyone of the dangers of heat-related illnesses or heat stress. According to OSHA, thousands of workers suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke—some even die. Heat stress is a serious medical condition resulting from the body’s inability to cope with a particular heat load, causing illness or death.

The various levels of heat stress, their symptoms and first aid measures are as follows:

  • Dehydration: fatigue, thirst, dry mouth, and low energy. Move to a cooler location out of the sun, drink plenty of cool fluids.
  • Heat rash: clusters of red bumps on skin usually around the neck, upper chest and skin folds. Press a cool cloth to the irritated skin, move to a cooler location, drink fluids.
  • Heat syncope: fainting and dizziness. Move to a cooler location, sit or lie down, drink cool fluids.
  • Heat cramps: muscle spasm or pain usually in legs, arms and trunk. Rest in a cool place, drink cool fluids.
  • Heat exhaustion: fatigue, thirst, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, heavy sweating, elevated body temperature (100.4°), or fast heart rate. Immerse the person in cold water or ice bath, stay out of heat/sun for the rest of the day, ensure the person is monitored and call a doctor if symptoms persist or get worse.
  • Heat stroke: confusion, slurred speech, unconsciousness, seizures, heavy sweating or hot, dry skin, very high body temperature (104°), rapid heart rate. Call 911 immediately and cool the person down with ice or cold water.

Severe cases can also lead to muscle breakdown and kidney damage or failure. Several factors can affect your body’s ability to deal with heat. Age, weight, fitness level, health conditions such as heart disease or high blood pressure, recent illness, hydration level, and certain medications all play a role in your ability to tolerate heat. Most people’s bodies will acclimate to the heat with continued exposure. Because of this we need to be cautious if we have not been exposed to a hot environment for a while. Nearly three out of four heat illness fatalities happen during a worker’s first week of work in a hot environment.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stress in yourself and your coworkers. Hydrate before, during and after work, cool water or electrolyte drinks are best. Avoid coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, and especially alcohol. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to begin drinking fluids. Wear light-colored, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, lower the intensity level of work, and take breaks. If possible, try to adjust the work schedule so more strenuous activities can be done earlier in the day before peak temperatures.

I hope you all have a great summer and stay safe.

Fraternally,

Peter Gardiner