impact, including environmental health pro- fessionals, especially if they work outdoors. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), heat stress resulted in 815 worker deaths nationally between 1992 and 2017 and seriously injured more than 70,000 workers (U.S. Department of Labor, 2021). Black and Hispanic outdoor workers are at higher risk of heat-related fatality (Gubernot et al., 2015). Because the environmental health workforce is vast—and includes outdoor workers such as sanitation workers, industrial hygienists, OSHA compli- ance specialists, and beyond—the workforce must protect its own employees as it works to protect the health of the public. So, what can environmental health pro- fessionals do? One of the most important things to do is be aware of extreme heat. The National Integrated Heat Health Information System maintains HEAT.gov with updates on current conditions and risks, as well as phone apps to track exposure to extreme heat in real time. Further, the U.S. Depart- ment of Homeland Security also oers clear information and best practices for prepared- ness at www.ready.gov/heat. These tools can be lifesavers. Outdoor workers should expect safe work- ing conditions, with rest and shade breaks and proper hydration based on federal rec- ommendations (Field Sanitation, 2023). Since many outdoor workers may feel disem- powered due to language access, immigra- tion status, or perceived value to employers (Pagán-Santana et al., 2023), it is even more important for environmental health profes- sionals to set an example and actively advo- cate for these standards of safety. Health centers can also prepare for the increased frequency of extreme heat events. The Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit oers tools to prepare for and manage extreme heat (Americares, 2023). The tool kit includes 1-page flyers for patients with a variety of risk factors, care plans for clini- cians, and preparation guidance for health facilities. This tool can be shared with envi- ronmental health colleagues in these roles as temperatures rise. Through all of these actions to prepare for and manage the risks of heat and other impacts of a changing climate, speaking with colleagues and the community on the topics remains incredibly important. Many people
recognize the heatwave–climate change con- nection but fewer than two fifths of people in the U.S. say heat waves make them concerned about the issue. In 2022, 61% said they associated heat waves with climate change, more than any other climate-related impact (ecoAmerica, 2022). And people are seeing the impact—in 2021, 79% of people in the U.S. said they noticed more extreme heat over the past few years (ecoAmerica, 2021). Even still, environmental health profes- sionals know that the public needs assistance with preparing for and responding to these impacts. The good news is that ecoAmerica oers the Climate for Health Ambassador Program and 5 Steps to Eective Climate Communication to help build confidence in communicating on climate action in a pro- ductive and positive way (Climate for Health, 2022, ecoAmerica, 2023). Environmental health voices matter and can make a signifi- cant dierence in shifting awareness, atti- tudes, and behavior toward health. As heat ramps up this summer, join envi- ronmental health professionals across the nation in speaking about the health-related impacts of a changing climate, exploring what can be done to protect health, and tak- ing action on solutions. We can all take steps to make a big dierence! Corresponding Author: Nicole Hill, Research and Marketing Manager, ecoAmerica, 1730 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Suite 200, Wash- ington, DC 20036. Email: nicoleh@ecoamerica.org. References Americares. (2023). The risk: Climate crisis . https://www.americares.org/what-we-do/ community-health/climate-resilient- health-clinics/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). CDC WONDER: About multiple cause of death, 1999–2020 . http://wonder. cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html Climate for Health. (2022). Ambassador training: Climate for Health Ambassadors . ecoAmerica. https://climateforhealth.org/ ambassadors-training/ ecoAmerica. (2021). American Climate Per- spectives: Severe weather drives climate concerns (Vol. IV). https://ecoamerica.org/ wp-content/uploads/2021/08/acps-2021- vol-iv-severe-weather.pdf
ecoAmerica. (2022). American Climate Per- spectives: Are Americans making the health and climate connection? (Vol. II, Part I). https://ecoamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2022/05/acps-2022-vol-ii-part-i-final.pdf ecoAmerica. (2023). 5 steps to eective climate communication . https://ecoamerica.org/cli mate-action-sheet/5-steps-to-effective-cli mate-communication/ Eltahir, E., & Krol, A. (2022). Extreme heat . MIT Climate Portal. https://climate.mit. edu/explainers/extreme-heat Field Sanitation, 29 C.F.R. § 1928.110 (2023). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/sub title-B/chapter-XVII/part-1928/subpart-I/ section-1928.110 Gubernot, D.M., Anderson, G.B., & Hunting, K.L. (2015). Characterizing occupational heat-related mortality in the United States, 2000–2010: An analysis using the census of fatal occupational injuries database. American Journal of Industrial Medicine , 58 (2), 203–211. https://doi.org/10.1002/ ajim.22381 Homan, J.S., Shandas, V., & Pendleton, N. (2020). The eects of historical housing policies on resident exposure to intra- urban heat: A study of 108 US urban areas. Climate , 8 (1), Article 12. https://doi. org/10.3390/cli8010012 Huetteman, E. (2022, August 4). ‘Children are not little adults’ and need special protec- tion during heat waves. KFF Health News . https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/ children-heat-wave-risk-heatstroke/ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2021). Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. Working Group 1 contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Inter- governmental Panel on Climate Change . Cambridge University Press. https://report. ipcc.ch/ar6/wg1/IPCC_AR6_WGI_FullRe port.pdf National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2022). Temperature-related death and illness: Climate change and human health . https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/ climatechange/health_impacts/heat/ National Weather Service. (2021). Weather related fatality and injury statistics . https:// www.weather.gov/hazstat/ O’Neill, M.S., Zanobetti, A., & Schwartz, J. (2005). Disparities by race in heat-related mortality in four US cities: The role of continued on page 36
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