New Extremes: Heat Safety Amid Rising Temperatures
We usually think that extreme weather and temperatures are limited to rare areas or instances—the Gobi Desert, the North Pole, Tornado Alley, or an errant blizzard or heatwave that you either heard of from your grandparents or plan on telling your future grandchildren about some day.
But when it comes to how weather can harm humans, it doesn’t take too much to qualify as extreme, especially when it comes to heat. Granted, what may feel hot to residents in Scotland might be considered downright balmy to those living in the Southwestern United States. However, if someone isn’t accustomed to actively working in what feels like hotter weather, prolonged exposure can result in a case of heat illness.
Heat illness is more than just sweating a little more and feeling uncomfortable in the heat. Most of the time, the human body subconsciously takes actions to remain in homeostasis—keeping everything inside stable and on an even keel regardless of the external environment. For example, if our blood sugar is too low, we get hungry and perhaps crave something sweet. Keeping our body temperature within a certain range is a big part of homeostasis, with bodies essentially operating as living thermostats. If things get too cold, we shiver in order to generate some level of heat through movement and muscle activity. If things get too hot, we produce sweat because as it evaporates, the departing moisture cools the surface of our skin.
But if someone is working in construction, patrolling outdoors for hours on end, or working in a factory with little to no air conditioning, there’s only so much the body can do.
Mercury Rising
Although heatwaves are one of the most dangerous natural hazards, the death and destruction they cause are not always immediately noticed. As a result, the impacts may receive less attention than the instant swathe of destruction cut by a tornado or tsunami.
According to a 2021 study, Global, regional, and national burden of mortality associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures from 2000-2019: a three stage modelling study, more than 489,000 heat-related deaths happened every year. Of all heat-related deaths, 45.81 percent happened in Asia, 36.54 percent in Europe, 11.61 percent in the Americas, 5.22 in Africa, and 0.82 percent in Oceania. Heatwaves in particular cause spikes in deaths, evidenced by the more than 70,000 people who died during a 2003 heatwave in Europe.
Heatwaves have also been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent decades. “Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people exposed to heatwaves increased by around 125 million,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO). U.S.-based research also confirmed this increase, noting that among major cities the average in the 1960s was two heatwaves per year, but the number has grown to more than six per year during the 2020s. “The average heatwave season across 50 major cities is 46 days longer than it was in the 1960s,” the U.S. Global Change Research Program reported.
The bottom line: Hotter days are here to stay. So, people who work in the heat will need additional protections.
Anyone working outdoors or in indoor spaces that lack sufficient cooling and ventilation can be at risk for a heat-related illness. And it’s not just heat that contributes—high humidity, which prevents sweat from evaporating, and high nighttime temperatures can exacerbate the conditions for heat-related illnesses. The constructed environment also factors in. Heat is absorbed by buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, meaning that temperatures can be one to seven degrees Fahrenheit warmer in urban areas compared to the areas surrounding a city, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES).
Heat-related illnesses are caused by exposure to extreme heat and are basically the result of the body’s inability to sufficiently cool itself off, impacting the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as kidney functions. This category of illnesses includes heat rash, heat cramps, heat syncope, rhabdomyolysis, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. The most serious of these is heat stroke, which happens when, despite its best efforts, the body can no longer control its own temperature. “The body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If someone suffering from heat stroke doesn’t receive emergency treatment, it can result in a permanent disability or death.
While solutions to preventing heat-related illnesses may seem obvious—stay inside, stay hydrated, stay cool—they are not always available or apparent.
For security officers who actively patrol large outdoor areas, such as campuses or parking lots, excessive heat can mean dehydration, fatigue, and heat-related illnesses. All of these effects “can seriously impair a security officer’s ability to remain alert, respond quickly, and make sound decisions,” says Eddie Sorrells, CPP, PSP, PCI, the CEO of DSI Security Services. “Even short periods in high-heat conditions can affect judgment and physical performance—crucial traits in the security industry.”
Security officers stationed outside in the heat for prolonged periods are most at risk, particularly if they are exposed to direct sunlight or high humidity. The increased time and exposure to heat while unable to effectively cool off increases the risk of developing a heat-related illness. Employers should understand the mental and physical impacts of extreme heat and take efforts to counter them.
“I think anybody that’s ever been exposed to a level of exertion in extreme heat knows the physical and mental impact that it took upon you or can take upon anyone,” says David LaRose, CPP, CPHA (Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator), national director of healthcare security for Garda World. “…If you’re not aware of your environment and the impact it can have on the officer physically and mentally, then we’re setting ourselves up for failure.”
Beyond duty of care, individual performance, or government regulations, employers might also be interested in recognizing, preventing, and treating these impacts because of a larger bearing on an organization. Staff turnover increases when an organization or industry doesn’t take care of its employees, including when it comes to hazards like extreme heat, according to Brent O’Bryan, senior vice president of global training and talent development for Allied Universal.
“It needs to be about the employees first. And we know that if it’s not, we’re going to lose people. So, we’ve got to make sure up front we’re doing the right thing—and that starts with recognizing some of the issues that weren’t recognized in the past,” O’Bryan says.
Even short periods in high-heat conditions can affect judgment and physical performance—crucial traits in the security industry.
Mitigation and Response
Because extreme heat can significantly impact the efficacy and health of security patrols, especially those who work outside for significant stretches of time, proper management and training of those officers can make a substantial difference in an officer’s performance, health, and influence beyond their company and the client he or she serves.
Whichever policies and training security officers’ employers use to help promote safety and awareness during hot days, employers need to communicate and coordinate these needs and protocols with the clients the officers will be supporting.
Along with providing site-specific safety briefings for the officers to address any unique elements in the environment they will be working in, Sorrells notes that DSI also requests or negotiates for officers to have access to air-conditioned spaces or water stations, as well as establishes with clients the expectations for breaks, adjustment to uniforms when necessary, and limits on shifts to prevent excessive exposure. These kinds of discussions can help clarify clients’ needs and expectations of officers’ responsibilities while placing limits where needed.
While these steps may sound onerous, it can help to remember and remind clients that the additional measures can assist in decreasing turnover and increase retention of familiar faces. “Our clients want to see the same faces. We want to have the same individuals out there who know what to do day in and day out,” O’Bryan says.
O’Bryan adds that these discussions do not only occur during a contract negotiation; instead, regular meetings with clients allow the organization to review recent events. “Incidents could include how many heat-related issues have happened at this facility or location, and then we can adjust and work with that client on what changes we need to make going forward,” he says.
To support keeping security officers safe even while having to work in the heat, it can help to conduct training that emphasizes how to recognize and respond to heat stress and to enact policies that include regular cool down and hydration breaks. Another way to improve resistance to excessive heat is by modifying uniforms and equipment to compensate for the increased temperature.
Policies and training. Implementing and leveraging a heat illness awareness and prevention plan can be a valuable investment.
“To ensure officers remain safe while still meeting the needs of our clients, training protocols must be adjusted during hot weather months,” LaRose says. Training ahead of those warmer days should include recognizing the early signs of heat stress, such as dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, and confusion.
Training should also include how to handle instances of heat stress or heat-related illnesses once they are identified. If an officer is suffering from heat exhaustion or sees someone else exhibiting signs of a heat-related illness, training should address how and where he or she can be moved to, as well as providing an environment where the person can fully recover and rehydrate. Training at Allied Universal notes that thirst is an early indicator that someone is headed toward dehydration. “That’s back to that prevention and early warning signs—that’s part of the training. It’s how to take care of yourself,” O’Bryan says.
Proper training can prevent a situation from happening or at least keep a situation from worsening. “You have to respond really quickly because things can—no pun intended here—heat up quickly in those dangerous situations,” O’Bryan adds.
When a serious heat incident happens, it can significantly affect organizations’ reputation, workers’ morale, and liability risks. U.S. employers are required to report any fatalities due to a heat-related illness to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within eight hours, and inpatient hospitalizations must be reported within 24 hours. This means that instances of heat stroke, rhabdomyolysis (muscle injury and breakdown), and any kidney damage because of severe heat or dehydration would be reported. A report could trigger an investigation into the causes of the heat-related illness and depending on the circumstances and outcome, OSHA might send an investigator to assess the workplace and identify hazards.
To counter some of the impacts from excessive heat, DSI has implemented certain safety protocols that are built into broader officer training and daily operations, according to Sorrells. These include hydration practices, with officers trained to hydrate before, during, and after a shift, as well as the employer providing access to water or beverages with electrolytes in locations where the heat is a factor.
Remote monitoring with GPS and wellness checks are also used for outdoor or remote posts so officers can report heat-related issues as they happen. The system allows supervisors to monitor officers’ patrol routes and issues alerts if there is a defined period of inactivity. Sorrells adds that he expects shifting climate patterns will increase the need for and use of drones and remote surveillance measures to help in reducing human exposure to extreme heat.
Training in anticipation of extreme heat can be multifaceted, relying on various formats to support real learning so the information is both accessible and memorable.
“It could be a document that they can read and refer back to,” LaRose says. “It could be a briefing before staff is deployed. …It could be a formal part of the training.” LaRose also issues special bulletins related to seasonal issues or risks, and he advises pairing them with refresher sessions during regular briefings.
If an event regarding extreme heat or a heat-related illness occurs, the debriefing of the incident can also contribute to training. Beyond understanding the incident and collecting the facts regarding it, officers can benefit from leaders recognizing when proper performance came into play and how things can be improved. “Maybe it’s because of the training something was observed, it was immediately handled, and the outcome was positive. And it reflects back to the training of the officer,” LaRose says.
At Allied, officers and supervisors also use an internal learning management system for training, with monthly safety topics incorporated into regular learning sessions. The topic for May is heat illness prevention, providing all employees with a refresher session of a more in-depth course that all employees must complete during their first 21 days at the company. Similar to Garda World, the company also provides other learning methods, such as a short video—the idea being that multiple educational avenues can help in communicating with and educating employees, according to O’Bryan.
Everyone that Security Management spoke with said that their training and policies regarding extreme heat were created to at least meet or exceed regulations set by OSHA and other regulatory agencies. This means that every site is required to have a heat illness and prevention plan, and every employee’s onboarding training includes a section on heat illness and prevention. But they also pulled lessons from other industries and from internal data regarding previous incidents. Sorrells adds that for DSI, their programs are created in partnership with several voices outside of traditional security—legal counsel, operational leaders, and risk management experts. “This cross-functional approach ensures that our protocols are both effective and legally sound,” he says.
LaRose, O’Bryan, and Sorrells all said that their organizations provide their officers with first aid training in response to heat stress and related illnesses. This allows them to not only identify and treat any stress among officers, they can provide assistance to anyone on the properties they help secure.
Clothing and PPE. “There are other things that I think sometimes are overlooked that really give a value add. That’s whether the uniforms are correct for the climate,” LaRose adds.
Once the temperatures start to rise, it’s time to at least consider switching up the work wardrobe for outdoor workers. For warmer days, choose a uniform consisting of lighter, breathable materials instead of the suit and tie that would be standard on cooler days or in a setting with air conditioning. Some clothing and hats also offer protection from harmful UV rays, further protecting officers in the long run. Depending on the setting, it may be worthwhile to see if additional equipment can help keep officers cool while on the job.
Both the material and the color of clothing can help mitigate against warmer weather. For example, wearing white in the summer to protect against heat is common. However some studies show that, counterintuitively, wearing black in some conditions—particularly if the clothing is loose-fitting and there is at least a mild breeze—can have a cooling effect. As for materials, in general you should select lightweight woven fabrics. Different materials have different moisture absorption properties which can help determine which material is better in different environments. For example, in dry environments, high-absorption cotton may keep those in the heat cooler than other fabrics, while in humid environments, moisture-wicking synthetics will be the cooler option.
Consideration of materials should also extend to any accessories, such as utility belts or vests. While such vests will undoubtably be heavier and made with a goal of protecting the wearer from weapons, on hot days the material that covers the plates should also be breathable instead of one that retains heat, LaRose advises.
Along with breathable or ventilated clothing, Sorrells also recommends providing cooling towels and portable fans when and where it is appropriate.
Other personal protection equipment can include a neck gaiter, sunglasses, sunscreen, and accessories that can offer protection from the heat, sun, glare, and UV rays, O’Bryan adds.
Sara Mosqueda is associate editor for Security Management. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or send her an email at [email protected].
