In the summer months, heat exhaustion can be a major concern for anyone participating in an outdoor event. If you are hosting or planning an outdoor event, it is especially important to have various measures in place to prevent heat exhaustion among everyone who will be in attendance. Read on to learn about options you can utilize to ensure everyone stays safe, happy, and comfortable – which will not only benefit everyone in attendance, but will certainly leave a lasting impression of the event’s success.
How to Prepare in Advance
Having fun outdoors during the warmer months of the year is a given for millions of people. Outdoor gatherings, sporting events, concerts, shows, festivals, parties, conferences, and weddings are among the many types of events that occur abundantly during the summer, however, ensuring these events are executed with careful planning is essential. Precautionary measures go a long way when it comes to heat mitigation and preventing heat-related injuries.
It’s important to understand the mindsets of the people attending outdoor events. Often, if they are having fun and caught up in the moment, they may not realize their bodies are becoming overheated. Having measures in place to ensure they can stay cool is so important. In the event of a heatstroke, medical attention is extremely important and for the injured individual, their fun time will be over instantly.
Staying Equipped to Prevent Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke During Events
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are major concerns for anyone planning an outdoor event, and these types of illnesses should be carefully addressed in planning. Heat-related illnesses occur after excessive exposure to high temperatures or continuous physical exertion in high-heat conditions.
Heatstroke that goes untreated can be extremely dangerous and may lead to brain damage, heart damage, kidney damage, and/ or damage to muscle tissue. The longer the victim goes without treatment, the greater the risk of more severe effects, or even death. Therefore, the potential severity of heatstroke and heat exhaustion cannot be underestimated.
One positive to consider though, is that heat-related illnesses are preventable, and in high temperatures, they are often quite predictable. Symptoms you should be aware of include:
- Body temperature exceeding 104 degrees
- Confusion/ agitation/ irritability
- Headache
- Flushed skin
- Altered/ slurred speech
- Nausea and/ or vomiting
- Racing pulse
- Rapid breathing
Any or a combination of the above may be present during a heat-related illness. Additionally, it can be very easy to mistake heat exhaustion for alcohol intoxication, so event organizers should be aware of recognizing these symptoms and the urgency to act on them immediately, without assuming a person is merely intoxicated.
Keeping Attendees Prepared
If you are planning an outdoor event and expect high heat to be an issue, educate attendees on how to best prepare themselves for the conditions. Here are some tips to provide:
- Encourage attendees and guests to stay hydrated by consuming ample amounts of water, sports drinks, coconut water, etc. If possible, provide water free of charge to ensure everyone can stay hydrated.
- Loose-fitting, lightweight clothing is ideal to allow breathability. Tight clothing is more restrictive and may not enable the body to cool down.
- Take measures to protect against sunburn, as this can contribute to heat exhaustion as well because sunburn affects the body’s natural defenses to cool on its own. SPF 15 (at a minimum), sunglasses, a hat, and sun-protective clothing are smart to use.
- Take care not to plan your event during the hottest time of the day, if possible. However, if this is unavoidable, be sure your guests understand the risk and are as prepared for it as possible.
Climate Control at Outdoor Events
To ensure your event has every possible safety measure in place, you may want to consider using climate control systems at your event to reduce temperatures as much as possible. Whether used in a tent, in specific cool rooms, or to cover large areas where athletes, performers, spectators, guests, and attendees will be, evaporative cooling fans are one such option that can provide widespread temperature reduction in an outdoor setting. Power Breezer, a US-based manufacturer of atomized evaporative cooling fans produces among the most powerful and effective machines available. They utilize the power of atomized water to decrease air temperature by as much as 27 degrees, even outdoors, beyond even the capabilities of air conditioners.
If you are holding or planning an outdoor event, it is important to keep the temperatures in mind. Heat alone is not a reason to cancel your event, because with proper planning and safety measures in place, it can run smoothly and safely. To learn more about how Power Breezer atomized evaporative cooling fans can be used to prevent heat exhaustion during your next outdoor event, reach out to our team today at www.PowerBreezer.com.
