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Help beat the heat

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joel Mease
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  With temperatures already approaching 100 degrees, service members need to educate themselves to beat the heat.

The 379th Expeditionary Medical Group Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight puts measures in place to help assist service members and their supervisors combat heat stress-related injuries and fatigue. With those efforts over the last couple of years, the total number of personnel experiencing heat-related injuries has reduced significantly.

With diligent efforts by Unit Leadership and Wingmen, heat related injuries have trended down over the past two years. Maj. Steven Lange, 379th EMDG Bioenvironmental Engineering Chief said, "It keeps going down, but ultimately we want zero heat-related injuries."

The only way to achieve that is for service members and their supervisors to stay informed, said Senior Airman Mary Enriquez, 379th EMDG Bioenvironmental Engineering technician.

"We provide AtHoc messages, which alert base personnel through their computer systems when heat conditions change." Enriquez said. "Once temperatures reach above 85 degrees, we begin to monitor the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) four times a day during the hottest parts of the day." The WBGT allows the bioenvironmental flight to estimate effects of temperature, humidity, wind speed and sunlight on personnel to give supervisors guidance on what to do.

Bioenvironmental Engineering does not direct responses in specific work areas, but does have a tool available for supervisors to make informed decisions as heat stress levels rise, Enriquez said. "The heat stress index is available to anyone on the installation's Sharepoint site under hotlinks."

The heat stress index recommends appropriate work/rest cycles and the amount of water intake a person should consume per hour for each heat category. The best way to keep safe during the heat is to constantly hydrate, Lange said.

"We want people to drink water, lots of water," Lange said. "Not soda or coffee all day, but water."

Supervisors should also remain aware personnel arriving at the 379th AEW will need time to adjust to the hot weather.

"It can take 10 to 14 days for personnel to acclimatize to the hot weather," Lange said. "We want people to get used to the weather, before going 100 percent at work."

Enriquez said she hopes this year, with the tools available to service members and their supervisors, the goal of zero heat-related injuries is achieved.