The following is the third in a series of articles from the USMA Safety Office offering tips and information on ways to keep safe during the active summer season. Heat stress can strike while a soldier is pulling maintenance duty at the motor pool, while a civilian fans herself in an office with no air conditioning or while a family member mows the lawn.
Sunburn is a frequent cause of heat injury for soldiers and community members.
Repeated exposures can lead to skin cancers. Sunburn can be a factor even on cloudy days, but it is preventable. Simply use sunscreen or keep body parts covered. Heat cramps are painful muscle crams caused by a heavy loss of salt in the body. It is possible to lose more than quart of water per hour through sweating alone.