Policy Statement on Heat-Related Illness in the Indoor Environment
Adopted by MIAQC Board of Directors on August 22, 2012
Whereas:
The variables of high heat, high humidity and lack of air movement may cause stress on the human body and can cause heat-related illness.
Whereas:
There are certain populations that are more susceptible to heat-related illness.
Whereas:
These same variables can occur in an indoor environment.
Whereas:
These same variables can reduce productivity in workplace and school environments.
Whereas:
The mission of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council is to promote quality of life through improved indoor environments.
Therefore:
. The MIAQC recommends the following strategies to reduce the risk of heat-related illness:
· Monitoring/Evaluation of the indoor environment (for conditions that might cause heat-related illness)
· Development and Implementation of Engineering Controls – (creating a cooler environment)
· Development and Implementation of Administrative Controls – (scheduling, reduced activity)
· Development and Implementation of Education/Training (general communication of preventing risk)
These strategies may be used alone or in various combinations depending on the type of indoor environment and associated building population.
References/Resources
Heat-Related Illness
· Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Hot Environments – Health Effects, http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/heat_health.html Last update: July 28, 2008
· Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Extreme Heat Toolkit, April 2012, 34 pp.
· National Weather Service, Heat – A Major Killer, https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml Last Update: May 3, 2012
· US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frequently Asked Questions about Extreme Heat, https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.html Last update: August 15, 2006
· World Health Organization, Heat-Health Action Plans, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2008. 45 pp,
Vulnerable Populations
· Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Hot Environments – Health Effects, http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/heat_health.html Last update: July 28, 2008
· Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Extreme Heat Toolkit, April 2012, 34 pp.
· National Weather Service, Heat – A Major Killer, http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtmlLast Update: May 3, 2012
· US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frequently Asked Questions about Extreme Heat, https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.html Last update: August 15, 2006
· US Environmental Protection Agency, Extreme Heat – Effects on Children and Pregnant Women, https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-during-and-after-natural-disasters-extreme-heat Last update: May 7, 2012
· World Health Organization, Heat-Health Action Plans, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2008. 45 pp,
Productivity
· NASA Contractor Report CR-1205(I) “Compendium of Human Responses to the Aerospace Environment”, Prepared by: Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Albuquerque, NM, November 1968, Volume I, Section 6, “Thermal Environment” by Emmanuel M. Roth, M.D.
· “Cost Benefit Analysis of the Night-Time Ventilative Cooling in Office Buildings” , Olli Seppänen , William J. Fisk, David Faulkner, Helsinki University of Technology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
ineh�gt8�读t-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol’>· Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Hot Environments – Health Effects, http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/heat_health.htmlLast update: July 28, 2008
· Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Extreme Heat Toolkit, April, 2012, 34 pp.
· National Weather Service, Heat – A Major Killer, http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtmlLast Update: May 3, 2012
· US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frequently Asked Questions about Extreme Heat,https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.htmlLast update: August 15, 2006
· US Environmental Protection Agency, Extreme Heat – Effects on Children and Pregnant Women, https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-during-and-after-natural-disasters-extreme-heatLast update: May 7, 2012
· World Health Organization, Heat-Health Action Plans, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2008. 45 pp,
Productivity
· NASA Contractor Report CR-1205(I) “Compendium of Human Responses to the Aerospace Environment”, Prepared by: Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Albuquerque, NM, November 1968, Volume I, Section 6, “Thermal Environment” by Emmanuel M. Roth, M.D.
· “Cost Benefit Analysis of the Night-Time Ventilative Cooling in Office Buildings” , Olli Seppänen , William J. Fisk, David Faulkner, Helsinki University of Technology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
