Oklahoma City (June 15, 2022) – With high humidity and soaring temperatures, the CompSource Mutual Safety and Loss prevention team is urging employers, workers and the public to be weather aware.
“Oklahomans often associate being ‘weather aware’ with severe weather. Our heat can pose risks that have the potential to be life-threatening for anyone spending time outdoors, especially workers due to the level of exertion,” said Adam Hughes, Director of Safety and Loss Prevention at CompSource Mutual.
Protection is easily broken down into the following five tips.
- Start Early – Begin outdoor work (or play) earlier in the morning and stop in the early afternoon when the temperature is approaching its peak.
- Take a Break – Take plenty of small breaks from the heat in air-conditioned areas or in the shade.
- Drink Fluids – Drink fluids throughout the day, including water and sports drinks, which help replenish electrolytes lost during perspiration. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Limit sodas and avoid alcoholic beverages in the heat. Carbonated beverages, such as soda, only increase thirst and dehydration and give a false sense of hydration. Consuming alcohol, even after work hours, can impact your susceptibility to heat stroke.
- Dress for Heat – Wear light-colored clothing to reflect heat as well as light hats with big brims.
- Dampen Clothing – Wet your clothing and wear wet towels or cooling bands around your neck to stay cool.
Each person experiences heat differently meaning these approaches may apply to some even when heat advisories or heat warnings haven’t been issued. Things impacting the bodily response to heat include medications, pre-existing conditions, a history of heat illness and acclimation, which is the body’s conditioning to heat.
About CompSource Mutual Insurance Company
For 85+ years, Oklahoma businesses have partnered with CompSource Mutual as a reliable source for workers’ compensation insurance and is trusted for its financial stability, superior service, and innovative solutions. CompSource Mutual seeks to be the insurance carrier of choice within the business community by serving Oklahoma’s most valuable asset, its people.
