NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS ON EXERTIONAL HEAT ILLNESS (EHI) PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD AND IN THE WORKPLACE
NEWLY MANDATED UIL WET BULB GLOBE TEST POLICY ALSO ADDRESSED AS TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE COUNTRY CONTINUE TO SOAR
DALLAS, TX – The National Athletic Trainers’
Association (NATA) has just released new guidelines on preventing
and treating exertional heat illness (EHI) on the football field and in
the workplace. With temperatures expected to soar in the days ahead,
these guidelines can help to reduce risk and ensure appropriate care of
EHI and related conditions.
“Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a leading cause of sudden death in
sport and especially among American football lineman. Additionally,
occupational heat stress is a growing public health concern,” said
NATA President A.J. Duffy III, MS, ATC, PT. “Athletic trainers are
uniquely qualified experts in heat safety. The two new NATA Task Force
statements demonstrate how their competency in this area translates
directly to protecting football players and workers alike.”
Preventing Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) Death in American Football
Linemen, now in press in _Sports Health_ , and chaired by task force
chair Rebecca Stearns, PhD, ATC, chief operating officer, Korey
Stringer Institute; associate professor-in-residence, University of
Connecticut in Storrs, revealed:
* American football linemen exceed deaths over all other football
positions
* Linemen account for over 90% of all EHS fatalities in secondary and
collegiate levels
* Linemen face unique vulnerabilities, including larger body mass,
lower aerobic fitness, greater metabolic heat production, and reduced
cooling efficiency.
* Most EHS events occur during training sessions, not during
competitions
_Key Recommendations for Collegiate and Secondary Schools:_
The NATA Task Force, consisting of a multidisciplinary panel, produced
20 actionable recommendations spanning education, training,
administration, and emergency preparedness. Among them:
* Adopt the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which combines ambient
temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation to reflect how the
human body experiences heat
* Require all sport coaches and strength conditioning personnel
complete initial and recurring training on EHS prevention, recognition,
and treatment
* Employ credentialed professionals to adhere to established
professional standards
* Implement defined transition periods during the first 5 days of
return to training
* Individualize training for linemen with conditioning programs that
reflect theirspecific physiological demands
* Eliminate punitive conditioning while training; exercise must never
be used as punishment
“The statement emphasizes that effective EHS prevention requires a
shift toward position-specific training, structured acclimatization,
environmental safeguards and coordinated emergency response systems.
When implemented collectively, these strategies provide a comprehensive
framework to substantially reduce EHS incidence and fatalities in this
high-risk population,” said Stearns.
_UIL Mandates Web Bulb Globe Temperature Protocol:_
The newly mandated Wet Bulb Globe Test (WBGT) twill go into effect in
August for all University Interscholastic League (UIL) Schools in Texas,
the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world. Texas
is the 20th state to mandate or require this protocol.
“Prior to Texas”, said Stearns, “42% of all high school athlete
participants were protected by the WBGT policy. Now that Texas has
adopted it, and given the size of the state, 53% of high school student
athletes will now benefit from this protocol.”
The Athletic Trainers’ Role in Implementing Heat Stress Mitigation
Strategies in the Occupational Setting _, _recently published in the_
__Journal of Athletic Training_ and led by task force chair
Christianne Eason PhD, ATC, president of Sport Safety and Education,
Korey Stringer Institute; assistant professor-in-residence, Department
of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut in Storrs, revealed:
* More than 13 million people in the U.S. are exposed to extreme heat
on their jobs during the summer
* More than 90% of workplace exertional injuries reported to the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are attributed to
heat stress
* In addition to heat illness, occupational heat exposure contributes
to the increased risk of injury, cardiac events, cognitive dysfunction,
and falls
* Climate trends, increased environmental heat exposure, and
physically-demanding work amplify risk across both outdoor and indoor
industries
* Global productivity losses associated with heat stress are projected
to reach trillions of dollars annually by 2030
_Key Recommendations for Employers:_
The NATA Task Force prepared 48 evidence-informed recommendations to
mitigate heat stress in the occupational setting. Among them:
* Develop heat illness prevention plans
* Implement environmental monitoring using WBGT and heat forecasting
* Establish heat acclimatization protocols
* Provide hydration and cooling access
* Plan emergency actions
* Recognize and treat exertional heat stroke ASAP
* Create safe return-to-work procedures
“Importantly, the recommendations acknowledge that heat stress
mitigation is not solely a medical issue, but also a workforce
sustainability and productivity issue. We have provided practical
strategies that employers can implement now with the support of athletic
trainers, uniquely qualified to lead and support these initiatives, to
reduce risk and help improve worker health,” says Eason.
Resources:
NATA Task Force Preventing Exertional Heat Stroke Death in American
Football Linemen Executive Summary
Executive Summary- NATA Task Force: The AT’s Role in Implementing Heat
Stress Mitigation Strategies in the Occupational Setting
Heat Fact Sheet
Heat Illness Handout
Exertional Heat Stroke (Korey Stringer Institute)
For more information about EHI prevention, please visit www.nata.org
.
About NATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association [14] – Health
Care for Life & Sport
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the
prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and
sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal
injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide
immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum
of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic
Trainers’ Association (NATA) is the professional membership
association for certified athletic trainers and others who support the
athletic training profession. Founded in 1950, NATA has grown to a
community of members that cover the globe. Visit nata.org [15] for more
information.