Physical Protection

Physical Protection

Environmental hazards

Heat and cold. Extreme temperatures can have bad effects on the human body.

For example if the temperature is too cold we can get hypothermia.

Hypothermia happens when the body’s core temperature drops below 35 degrees C. If the core body temperature falls below 26 degrees C then this could result in death. [1] 

There are two stages of hypothermia; mild and severe. [2] Mild hypothermia occurs when the body temperature drops below 37° Celsius. Breathing and pulse accelerate; shivering increases, the hands and feet are white and cold. [2]

Severe hypothermia occurs when the body temperature falls below 33° Celsius.This situation is a lot more serious.  The victim no longer feels any chills or shivering, the muscles begin to stiffen and the person’s lips and extremities turn blue. [2]

Key symptoms include of hypothermia include:

• Pale skin
• Shivering and then muscle stiffness as the body is no longer able to shiver
• All bodily functions become slowed (pulse can drop as low as 40 beats per minute or less)
• May appear drunk

[1]

Frostbite is another very dangerous condition caused when extreme cold freezes the cells in a limb, normally the fingertips and/or toes/ tips of ears. [1] Frostbite can be extremely serious and lead to amputation of those affected body parts or cause serious after-effects. Key symptoms include a gradual loss of feeling, numbness, a pale colour or a turning blue of the affected areas.  [2]

Heat Extreme heat can overpower the human body. [8] There a several heat disorders that the body can face if it’s over heated. Sun burn symptoms of this are; redness and pain and in severe cases, swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches. [9] Heat cramps these are painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen. [9] Heat exhaustion is when the body becomes very hot and starts to lose water/salt. [10] Symptoms include; heavy sweating, weakness, cold skin, pale and clammy, fainting and vomiting, tiredness and weakness, a decrease in blood pressure, headaches, muscle cramps. [9] Heatstroke is where the body is unable to cool itself and the person's body temperature becomes significantly high Heatstroke is less common, but a lot more serious. It can put a strain on the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, and can be life-threatening. [10]

Ultra-violet radiation. Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) is simply one form of energy coming from the sun. [3] Small amounts of UV are good for people and essential in the production of vitamin D. UV radiation is also used to treat diseases, including rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice [4] However prolonged human exposure to UV radiation is harmful to the human body and may result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin, eyes and immune system. [4] Sunburn (erythema) is the most commonly known acute effect of excessive UV radiation exposure. [4] Sunburn occurs when skin cells are damaged by the absorption of energy from UV rays. To make up for this injury, the skin sends extra blood to the damaged skin in an attempt to repair it – this is why the skin turns red. [5] Another effect of ultraviolet rays on the skin is photo aging. Recent studies have shown that many of the symptoms commonly associated with us aging (i.e. wrinkles, loosening of the skin) may instead be related to UV exposure [5]