NOUS41 KWBC 241442
PNSWSH
Public Information
Statement
National Weather Service
Headquarters
1042 AM EDT Mon May 23
2011
To: Subscribers:
-Family of Services
-NOAA Weather Wire Service
-Emergency Managers Weather
Information Network
-NOAAPORT
-Other NWS Partners and NWS Employees
From: Eli Jacks
Chief, Fire and Public Weather
Services Branch
Subject: Excessive Heat and Sun Safety Guidance for
2011 Season
Summer is just around the
corner, and NOAA’s National Weather
Service is seeking
assistance from the media to help educate the
public about the danger of
extreme heat and ultraviolet
radiation.
This Friday is national "Don’t
Fry Day," offering a great
opportunity for reporters
and broadcast meteorologists to alert
the public on heat and ultraviolet
radiation safety.
This year, NWS is
partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to join the
National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention’s "Don’t Fry Day" campaign.
Heat and UV radiation are silent killers
that do not have the same visual impact as weather hazards such as tornadoes
and hurricanes. Just last year, more than 30 outdoor workers died as a result
of heat stroke. In addition, more than 2 million new cases of skin cancer are
diagnosed in the United States each year. There are more new skin cancer cases
each year than breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers combined.
Heat can also be a killer
on a mild day, when children or pets are left in parked vehicles. Each year
children die from excessive heat as a result of being left in closed, parked vehicles. Last year 49 children died of hyperthermia because
they were left in closed vehicles. Studies have shown that the temperature
inside a parked vehicle can rise rapidly to a dangerous level
Preventive measures can be
taken to help avoid the harmful effects of exposure to excessive heat and UV
radiation. The first
step is to be aware of
existing heat and UV radiation services and safety information. Available public
resources are as follows:
NWS: Heat-related Watch,
Warning, and Advisory (WWA) products are sent to NWS partners and the public
whenever excessive heat events are expected. These products can be accessed anytime at:
In
addition, a variety of resources and information relating to excessive heat is
available on NOAA’s NOAAWatch website via the
"Excessive
Heat" tab at:
http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php.
Information
provided includes details on the definitions and intended usage of NWS’
heat-related WWA products, an explanation of the Heat Index and how it is used
in NWS forecast operations, and safety tips for staying safe in the summer heat
and sun.
Additional
information on summer safety, and the associated impacts of excessive heat and
sun to the human body, is provided via our partners’ links cited below.
EPA: Daily updates on the
UV Index and associated sun safety
steps are available at the
"SunWise" website at:
http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/
A national map depicting
forecast elevated and "alert" UV levels
for the mid-day period
around the contiguous 48 states is
provided as an experimental product on the NWS Climate Prediction
Center’s website at:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/uv_index/uv_alert.shtml
The SunWise website also lets users access their local UV
Index by ZIP code and to receive automated UV Alerts via email when UV
radiation is anomalously high for a particular location, that is, when an Alert
is in effect. EPA also offers the UV Index as a smart phone application at:
http://www.epa.gov/enviro/mobile/
An Excessive Heat Events Guidebook
for the public, developed by the EPA in 2006 in collaboration with the NWS,
CDC, and DHS, provides guidance that communities can use to develop mitigation plans. This guidebook is accessible online at:
http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/about/heatguidebook.html
OSHA:
OSHA launched a heat illness prevention campaign for outdoor
work
in April 2011. Information on the
campaign and new resources,
including
illustrated fact sheets and worksite posters, training
resources,
and public service announcements are available at:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html.
NWS
and OSHA are also partnering to increase awareness for outdoor
workers
and their employers during excessive heat events. NWS will
incorporate
specific outdoor worker safety precautions when heat
advisories
and warnings are issued this summer.
CDC:
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United
States,
and the majority of these cancers are caused by exposure
to
ultraviolet (UV) light. Skin cancer risk can be reduced by
seeking
shade, wearing protective clothing, avoiding tanning
beds,
and using sunscreen. CDC provides leadership for nationwide
efforts
to reduce illness and death caused by skin cancer through
education,
surveillance, and research efforts. Information on
skin
cancer statistics, prevention, and CDC’s skin cancer
initiatives
is available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/
National Council on Skin
Cancer Prevention: The National Council
is an umbrella
organization of 45 major national groups dedicated
to preventing skin cancer,
including the American Academy of
Dermatology, the American
Cancer Society, Melanoma Research
Foundation, and the Skin
Cancer Foundation, as well as Federal agency partners and many smaller family
foundations devoted to
disease prevention. Specific tips on preventing skin cancer as
well as more than 35 "Don’t
Fry Day" resources, including media
guides, posters, graphics
and an "Action Kit for Meteorologists," are available at the National
Council’s website at:
http://www.skincancerprevention.org
FDA: The FDA, an agency
within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public
health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and
veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and
medical devices. Information on applying sunscreen, wearing the most effective
sunglasses, and other sun safety tips are available at:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm049090.htm#TipsforApplyingSunscreen
In general, the partners
offer the following heat wave and UV
safety tips:
Slow
down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous work or recreational activities
to the coolest time of the day.
2. Get acclimated. Gradually work-up to outdoor work and
recreational activities so
that your body adjusts to hot
conditions.
3. Dress in lightweight light-colored
clothing to reflect heat
and sun light; wear hats and sunglasses that provide 99 to 100 percent UV
protection.
4. Drink plenty of water or other
non-alcoholic fluids.
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages.
5. Do not take salt tablets unless directed
to by a physician.
6. Take frequent breaks during work or
play. Spend more time in
air-conditioned
places and seek shade outside, especially during
midday
hours.
7. Check the UV Index and avoid prolonged
exposure to the sun.
8. Never leave any person or pet in a closed,
parked vehicle.
9. Generously apply sunscreen with sun
protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher that provides both UVA and UVB
protection.
10. Know what the signs and symptoms or heat
illness are. Check
on workers, particularly those wearing protective
suits.
Elderly persons, children,
invalids, those on certain medications or drugs, outdoor workers, and persons
with weight and alcohol problems are particularly susceptible to heat and should
pay especially close attention to the above tips, particularly during heat
waves in areas where excessive heat is rare.
Educate yourself and the
public on the dangers of excessive heat
and overexposure to the
sun and what preventive measures to take
to avoid skin cancer and
heat-related illnesses or deaths. You
may help save lives.
For further information,
please contact:
Jannie G. Ferrell 301-713-1867 x135
National Public
Information Notices are online at:
http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm
$$
NNNN
|