Dallas — Developing heat illness prevention plans and establishing acclimatization protocols are among 48 evidence-based recommendations recently published by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association for employers implementing heat mitigation strategies.
A 28-member task force, which included 10 certified athletic trainers and five occupational and environmental health and safety professionals, developed the recommendations with a focus on five key areas:
- Accessibility of educational materials
- Heat’s impact on productivity
- The athletic trainer’s role in prevention
- The trainer’s role in identification and treatment
- The trainer’s role in return to work
The guidance, designed to help athletic trainers working in occupational settings address heat illness, also includes:
- Implementing environmental monitoring using heat forecasting and wet bulb globe temperature, or WBGT.
- Providing hydration and cooling access.
- Planning emergency actions.
- Recognizing and treating exertional heatstroke ASAP.
- Creating safe return-to-work procedures for workers returning from an absence of more than 14 days.
- Helping employers and supervisors assist with and encourage access to wellness programs to minimize heat illness risks.
- Working with safety and health professionals to incorporate environment-based work modifications into policies and procedures.
“The recommendations acknowledge that heat stress mitigation is not solely a medical issue, but also a workforce sustainability and productivity issue,” Christianne Eason, NATA task force chair and assistant professor in kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, said in a press release. “We have provided practical strategies that employers can implement now with the support of athletic trainers, uniquely qualified to lead and support these initiatives, to reduce risk and help improve worker health.”
The recommendations were published in NATA’s Journal of Athletic Training.
