What is heat stroke?
Heatstroke is a serious condition in which the body’s thermoregulation is disrupted, and significant damage to vital organs can occur. It can happen during intense physical activity or environmental exposure, including indoors with heat sources. It requires urgent attention and should not be treated as a minor ailment.
If heat stroke is suspected, call the local emergency number, such as 112 in Spain, and begin cooling the person without delaying the call. A confirmed diagnosis is not necessary to request help. The priority of first aid is to recognize the danger and act while medical professionals take over.
Signs that require an urgent response
Confusion, unusual behavior, slurred speech, seizures, or loss of consciousness in a hot environment are warning signs. Body temperature may be very high, but the response must not be delayed to measure it. An inadequate thermometer or a single reading alone does not rule out an emergency.
The skin may be dry or there may be profuse sweating. Waiting for the sweating to stop is a dangerous mistake. Other heat-related illnesses can cause dizziness, weakness, headache, or nausea, and also require medical attention and removal from the heat source. Definitive classification should be made by medical professionals, not through an impromptu comparison of symptoms on-site.
Activate help and protect the location
Emergency services must be notified, providing the exact location, access points, and the person’s condition. It is advisable to designate someone to receive the emergency medical services and maintain communication. The affected person should remain accompanied. If there is an additional hazard, such as traffic, machinery, or a restricted access area, assistance should be organized without endangering others.
Whenever it can be done safely, move to a cool or shaded area and remove any unnecessary outer clothing. The emergency plan should outline how to reach these locations and what resources are available. A number written on a sign is insufficient if there is no cell phone coverage or no one can describe the access route.
Cooling down while waiting for assistance to arrive
Cooling should begin immediately. This can be achieved using cool water on the skin, wet clothing or cool cloths, and air movement. Immersion in cool water can be an effective option when the necessary equipment and trained personnel are available to perform it safely, while maintaining a protected airway and following emergency protocols.
If heat stroke is suspected, do not force oral intake or give anything by mouth to a person who is confused, unconscious, or unable to swallow safely. Follow medical guidelines for care. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, apply the resuscitation and defibrillation protocol according to your training and the instructions of the emergency services.
Factors that should be prevented
The risk depends on the environment, exertion, clothing, duration, and recovery possibilities, as well as relevant individual circumstances. Lack of acclimatization can increase vulnerability during initial training and return to work. Prevention should address these conditions before symptoms appear and facilitate reporting without fear of workplace repercussions.
Measures include reducing exposure and exertion, organizing schedules, ensuring access to water and cool places, and arranging supervision and support. Hydration alone does not guarantee protection against heatstroke. Nor does good physical condition allow one to ignore excessive exposure or continue working when signs of heat exhaustion appear.
Practical example
During an outdoor task, a worker begins to respond incoherently and loses coordination. A colleague notices that he continues to sweat and initially thinks it can’t be heatstroke. However, the altered mental state in that context requires treating the situation as an emergency.
The team stops the task, activates medical assistance, and begins cooling the person in a safe location while keeping them with them. Another person facilitates access for emergency services. This example demonstrates why training should correct the myth that skin is necessarily dry and practice a simple and well-known response sequence.
Preparation and review after an incident
Before hot periods, communication, access, cooling methods, and trained personnel should be checked. Assessment using WBGT or other methods helps plan controls, but a previous favorable measurement does not invalidate the symptoms. The operational response must be able to be activated whenever reasonable suspicion arises.
Following the incident, the exposure, organization, and functioning of the response must be reviewed, while preserving clinical information. Reintegration and necessary adjustments require a health and preventive assessment. The person should not be asked to return to work simply because they appear recovered after a few minutes of rest or because their shift is about to end.
Common mistakes
It is a serious mistake to leave the person alone, wait to check a specific temperature, demand that they finish the job, or limit the response to offering water. It is also a mistake to delay calling while looking for transportation or to assume that an emergency can only happen in the sun and never in an industrial setting.
Prevention and response must be planned in advance. Early recognition, urgent assistance, and prompt cooling are essential. Emergency personnel instructions take precedence during assistance and allow for adapting actions to the actual situation, available resources, and the condition of the affected person.
