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Heat Stress Guidelines for Work Limits

 

Measure
Discontinue Work If Any of the Following Occur
Heart Rate
  • Sustained heart rate minus the individual's age is above 180 beats per minute. (Heart Rate - Age > 180)
  • Recovery heat rate at one minute after a peak work effort is great than 100 beats per minute.
Body Core Temperature
  • Greater than 101.3 F (38.5 C) for medically selected and acclimated workers
  • Greater than 100.4 F (38.0 C) in unselected, un-acclimatized workers.
Symptoms
  • Sudden and severe fatigue, nausea, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
  • Workers appear disoriented or confused, or suffer inexplicable irritability, malaise, or flu-like symptoms.
  • Sweating stops and skin becomes hot and dry. Seek immediate emergency care with hospitalization. Call ext. 2222 on site.
  • Profuse sweating is sustained over a couple of hours.
  • Weight loss over a shift is greater than 1.5% ob body weight.
  • 24 hour urinary sodium excretion is less than 50 nmoles.

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Last Modified: February 1, 2008
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DOE, Office of ScienceOne of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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