Tech. Sgt. Richard N. Melton
72nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron
With the Oklahoma summer comes high temperatures and as a result, Tinker personnel may be experiencing a little more stress as a form of “heat stress.”
With prevention, the harmful effects of heat can be avoided.
The environmental factors that may contribute to heat related illness and injuries, include ambient temperature, relative humidity, solar load and wind speed. While environmental factors cannot always be easily controlled, the effects of heat on the human body can be minimized with proper precautions. Those precautions include proper hydration with water, light, loose-fitting clothing to promote evaporative cooling, taking breaks in shaded areas and acclimation to working in a hot environment.
There are many factors to consider when battling heat stress: proper hydration, physical fitness, being aware of the current HeatCon and, finally, using the Wingman concept when it gets warm. The Air Force uses a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature instrument to measure environmental heat factors. The WBGT integrates the four environmental factors of ambient temperature, solar load, relative humidity, and wind speed. The WBGT should not be confused with the “heat index” reported by the news media and other sources since this index does not integrate all four environmental factors.
The WBGT values are used in conjunction with work conditions to determine a “heat-condition” better known as “HeatCon.” Tinker’s HeatCons are calculated by the 72nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron’s Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight.
The HeatCon ranges from 0 (no condition) to 5 (most severe condition). When the forecasted high temperature of 85 degrees is expected, monitoring is conducted four times daily.
If Tinker reaches HeatCon 3 (Yellow Flag), hourly monitoring will be conducted and reported. Heat stress recommendations are represented by both numbers and flag colors.
The Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight posts WBGT value via the Tinker Home Page under the “HeatCon” tab. Accordingly, water intake and rest cycles are recommended and can be used as a tool for commanders, directors and supervisors to exercise risk management for their employees.
Additionally, the HeatCon is posted on the plasma screens located throughout Tinker’s industrial complex. For those employees who don’t have access to a computer/plasma screen, the 76th Maintenance Operations Center, 552nd Air Control Wing MOC, Tinker Command Post, 507th Air Refueling Wing Command Post, and the Navy TF-124 OCC are notified of HeatCons in order to allow for dissemination.