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SECTION D <br /> HEAT STRESS MONITORING <br /> Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) puts a hazardous waste site worker at a <br /> considerable risk of developing heat stress. This can result in health effects ranging from <br /> transient heat fatigue to serious illness or death. Heat stress is caused by a number of interacting <br /> factors, including environmental conditions, clothing, workload and the individual characteristics <br /> of the worker. Because heat stress is probably one of the most common )and potentially serious) <br /> illnesses at hazardous waste sites, regular monitoring and other preventative precautions are vital. <br /> To monitor the worker, measure: <br /> 1. Heart Rate. Count the radial pulse during a 30-second period as early as possible in the <br /> rest period. <br /> If the heart rate exceeds 110 beats per minute at the beginning of the rest period, <br /> shorten the next work cycle by one-third and keep the rest period the same. <br /> If the heart rate still exceeds 110 beats per minute at the next rest period, shorten <br /> the following work cycle by one-third. <br /> 3. Oral Temperature. Use a clinical thermometer ( 3 minutes under the tongue) or similar <br /> device to measure the oral temperature at the end of the work period (before drinking). <br /> If oral temperature exceeds 99.6°F(37.6°C), shorten the next work cycle by one- <br /> third without changing the rest period. <br /> If oral temperature still exceeds 99.6°F(37.6°C) at the beginning of the next rest <br /> period, shorten the following work cycle by one-third. <br /> Do not permit a worker to wear a semi-permeable or impermeable garment when <br /> his/her oral temperature exceeds 100.6°F(38.1°C). <br /> 3. Body water loss, if possible. Measure weight on a scale accurate to +/-0.25 lb at the <br /> beginning and end of each work day to see if enough fluids are being taken to prevent <br /> dehydration. Weights should be taken while the employee wears similar clothing or, <br /> ideally, is nude. The body water loss should not exceed 1.5 percent total body weight <br /> loss in a work day. <br /> Initially, the frequency of physiological monitoring depends on the air temperature adjusted for <br /> solar radiation and the level of physical work (see Table 1). The length of the work cycle will be <br /> governed by the frequency of the required physiological monitoring. <br /> 26 <br />