An extreme heat warning is in effect through Tuesday evening as temperatures soar across New England.
The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures above 100 degrees on Tuesday, but the humidity will make it feel more like 110 degrees in many parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Temperatures decrease into the 90s for Wednesday.
The heat wave poses particular risks to people who work outdoors.
“Heat kills,” said Tatiana Begault, executive director of MassCOSH, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health.
There is no federal standard outlining how employers should protect their workers during extreme heat, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed rules to meet that need. Public hearings began on those standards last week, and are scheduled to continue into July.
“The OSHA proposed standards — which includes a requirement for water access, rest, shade, training and emergency response plans that trigger between 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees Fahrenheit heat index thresholds — is the absolute minimum that we owe our workforce,” Begault said.
The future of the OSHA proposal is unclear, however, and Begault is worried about the potential impact of federal funding cuts and the closing of regional OSHA offices. MassCOSH is also calling on the Department of Labor Standards to develop and implement its own safety standards for employers to address extreme weather and other hazards. Currently, only a handful of states have adopted their own heat standards.
MassCOSH represents many workers exposed to the elements, including fields like construction, painting, masonry, health care, farming and welding. The organization also advocates for workers who are often underrepresented, like immigrants, and operates a hotline that immigrant workers can call.
Adam Chapdelaine, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said local leaders have to balance worker safety with the fact that there is always work that needs to get done.
“It puts cities and towns, and in many cases school departments, in difficult decisions about making sure they are keeping employees, visitors and students safe in the face of a heat wave like this,” he said.
Tips for staying safe
Dr. Timothy Boardman, who specializes in emergency medicine at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, said it’s important to pay attention to the heat index.
“Stay hydrated first and foremost,” Boardman said.
That means drinking plenty of water throughout the day, or consuming sports drinks with electrolytes.
“It’s best to avoid sugary drinks and try to avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, because both of those substances can dehydrate your body very quickly,” Boardman explained.
If you have to work outside, there are other things you can do to decrease your risk of heat-related emergencies.
“Wear loose clothing, wear light colors that’s going to reflect the sun,” he said. “Take breaks very frequently, and try to stay up with hydration.”
Other options to cool down include resting in shady or air-conditioned areas, and using personal mist devices and fans.
Feeling woozy or excessive sweating are both signs of heat-related illness, and should be treated seriously. Heat can also exacerbate underlying medical conditions such as heart and lung diseases. Boardman said hospital emergency rooms are skilled at cooling down anyone with heat-related emergencies, such as heat stroke.
