On 15 May, the Government of Spain mobilised the National Plan of Preventive Actions against the Effects of Excess Temperatures on Health, which will be in force until 30 September.
The aim of the plan is to prevent and mitigate the negative effects that excessive heat can have on citizens' health, especially in the most vulnerable groups: the elderly, pregnant women, minors, the chronically ill and groups who work outdoors.
Forecasts indicate an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves as a consequence of climate change. For this reason, the Ministry of Health and the State Meteorological Agency, with contributions from the Regional Governments, have drawn up a list of recommendations to protect the population from damage caused by excess temperatures and will issue daily alerts on the levels of health risk.
Decalogue of general recommendations
- Drink water or fluids frequently, even if you don't feel thirsty.
- Avoid caffeinated, alcoholic or highly sweetened drinks.
- Pay special attention to babies, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and elderly people with diseases that can be aggravated by heat (heart, kidney, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, dementia, etc.).
- Stay in cool, shaded or air-conditioned places.
- Reduce physical activity and avoid outdoor sports in the middle of the day.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, breathable clothing.
- Never leave anyone in a parked and locked vehicle.
- Consult a doctor if you have symptoms for more than one hour that may be related to heat.
- Keep medicines in a cool place.
- Eat light meals (fruit, vegetables) and cut down on high-fat foods.
High levels of health risks
One of the plan's priority actions is to alert the authorities and the public sufficiently in advance of possible risk situations. To this end, the following levels shall be assigned:
- level 0 (green) or no risk
- level 1 (yellow), low risk
- level 2 (orange), medium risk
- level 3 (red), high risk
How do I find out about the risk posed by high temperatures?
- In the level allocation map On the website of the Ministry of Health
- On the website of the State Meteorological Agency
- On social networks
- By subscribing to the free Temperatures and Risk Levels service. You will receive an email and/or SMS with daily information on temperatures and health risk level for the requested province.
- through the media
How do I protect myself from the sun's rays?
Remember that the negative effects of prolonged sun exposure are cumulative. Some of these effects are burns, sunstroke, eye conditions, alterations of the immune system or premature skin ageing. In addition, skin cancer (carcinoma and malignant melanoma) has increased in recent years, so you should follow these recommendations:
- Avoid sunbathing in the middle of the day, as well as prolonged exposure or naps.
- Wear lightweight clothing. Tightly knit shirts and long trousers will block most of the sun's radiation. The most comfortable garments in hot climates are light-coloured cotton shirts. Clothing should be comfortable and not too tight.
- Cover your head with hats or caps.
- Wear approved sunglasses that filter out at least 90% of ultraviolet radiation.
- Use sunscreen products with a high sun protection factor appropriate to your age, skin type and the area of the body where they are used. Sunscreens should be applied in large quantities 30 minutes before sunbathing and renewed every two hours and after bathing. Use sunscreen even on cloudy days.
- Be careful if you are exposed to the sun in water, as radiation can penetrate up to one metre into clear water.
- Protect minors and prevent children under the age of three from being exposed to the sun.
- Be careful if you take medication, because this increases the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation.
- All these tips should also be followed when in the mountains, because the risk of sunburn increases with altitude.
How do I deal with heat stroke?
Heat stroke is a situation in which a person who is subjected to high temperatures suffers a problem in their thermoregulation system in an exaggerated way, raising their temperature to 40 degrees or more.
Heat stroke can occur in older, sedentary people in spaces without air conditioning, in young, healthy people exercising in extreme heat, in workers who work outdoors or in hot environments, and in the chronically ill.
Its main symptoms are headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, tiredness, sweating, cold, pale and clammy skin and a weak pulse. Intense thirst and a dry mouth, vertigo, muscle cramps or disorientation may also occur.
To treat heat stroke, sip water, stay in a cool place, loosen your clothes, apply wet cloths or take a cool bath. If symptoms last for longer than an hour, you should go to a hospital.
Heat stroke can lead to serious complications, such as damage to vital organs (brain, heart, liver, kidneys, lungs), resulting in renal, cardiac or respiratory failure, fulminant hepatitis, and even death.
What is the difference between heat stroke and sunstroke?
Sunstroke is caused by prolonged exposure to the sun accompanied by high temperatures, whereas heat stroke is linked to a rise in temperature and does not necessarily occur when sunbathing.
Symptoms of sunstroke include hot, flushed skin, rapid breathing and pulse, convulsions, hallucinations, irritability, behavioural changes, altered level of consciousness or fainting.
If these symptoms occur, you should immediately call 112 and, while waiting for help to arrive, move the affected person to a cool place, lower the temperature with cold cloths or give him/her a bath with cold water.
How to protect workers from heat waves?
The Official State Gazette of 13 May 2023 publishes the modification to the health and safety regulations in the workplace to establish the prohibition to carry out certain tasks if the risk level for high temperatures is orange or red and it is not possible to guarantee workers' protection.
The regulation stipulates that employers are obliged to adapt the conditions and working hours of their employees and, if necessary, to stop work during hours of excessive heat.
The measure affects workers who work in places that cannot be closed, such as on the street and on farms and livestock holdings.
Non official translation
