Do you know how to stay safe during extreme heat?
Follow these steps to stay safe and stay cool on or off campus this summer.
Prepare for the heat
- Identify if you or your loved ones are especially at risk during the heat (the young, the elderly, persons working in the heat, persons with chronic health conditions, persons with mental illness, persons with limited mobility, pregnant people, young children and people living alone).
- Develop an emergency plan to stay cool.
- Prepare your home with air conditioning, fans, or thermal curtains.
Stay calm and cool
During extreme heat, it’s important to lower your activity levels and stay in a cool area drinking fluids.
A heat warning is issued by Environment Canada when temperatures are forecasted at 29°C in the coastal region or between 33°C in the inland region for two or more consecutive days. An extreme heat alert is issued when temperatures are predicted to hit ≥31˚C in the coastal region or ≥36˚C in the inland region.
- If a heat warning has been issued, seek access to a cool space or go to an on-campus UBC cooling centre, a City of Vancouver cooling centre, or a cooling centre in your community.
- Activate your emergency plan, if needed.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Sleep in the coolest part of the house, or with a wet sheet/ shirt.
- Turn off unnecessary electronics when indoors.
- Lower your activity level and avoid strenuous activity.
- Avoid direct sun by staying in the shade and wearing a hat and protective clothing. Cover sun-facing windows. Use sunscreen and UV-protective eyewear.
- Relocate to a cooler location if possible.
Look out for heat-related illnesses
Know the signs of a heat-related illness to keep you and those around you safe.
- Heat rash: Development of itchy, red, and bumpy rash
- Heat cramps: Painful muscle cramps or spasms and excessive sweating
- Heat exhaustion: Sweating, shallow breathing, increased heart rate, weakness, and dizziness
- Heat stroke: No longer sweating, confusion and agitation, irregular pulse, cardiac arrests
If you, or someone else has signs of progression to heat stroke, call 911 and notify UBC First Aid at 604 822 4444. Cool off by applying cool water to the face and neck until emergency services arrive. For less serious heat disorders, move to a cooler environment and then call UBC First Aid.
Visit the Thermal Stress Safety page to learn more.