Following are some summer tips compiled from DLEG agencies including the Michigan Public Service Commission, Energy Office, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and the Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

Worker Safety Tips 

• While there are no specific regulations on how hot the work environment can be, there is a MIOSHA General Duty Clause that requires the employer to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards. Employers can be cited if workers exposed to heat are demonstrably ill, this can verified by a health care professional and the employer does nothing to alleviate these conditions. 
• Employers can help reduce heat by shielding workers from radiant heat sources, providing cooling fans, using power tools to reduce manual labor, and using personal cooling devices and personal protective equipment. 
• Work practices such as providing plenty of drinking water (as much as a quart per worker per hour) at the workplace can help reduce the risks of heat disorders. Glasses of ice chips, sports drinks to replace potassium, calcium and magnesium salts and more frequent rest periods in cool areas are all effective in reducing heat stress. 
• Workers should, if possible, wear loose-fitting, light-colored, porous clothing that allows free air circulation over the body. 
• Employers should educate workers, management and first aid providers on recognizing symptoms of heat-related illness and how to report these symptoms to the employers. Methods for reducing the effects as part of a comprehensive health and safety program.

Heat Relief for the Homeless 

• Extreme heat in the summer can often be as hard on the homeless as the bitter cold of winter. The Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness at 517.485.6536 can connect people to the shelter and services that best meets their needs.

Energy Savings Tips 

• Set the air conditioner thermostat as high as possible - 78 degrees is often considered a comfortable indoor temperature and can result in big savings. 
• Keep out the daytime sun with vertical louvers or awnings on the outside of your windows, or draw draperies, blinds and shades indoors. 
• Do your cooking and use other heat-generating appliances in the early morning or late evening hours whenever possible. 
• Open windows instead of using your air conditioner or electric fan on cooler days and during cooler hours. - Be sure to keep windows and doors closed during the hottest hours of the day. 
• Plant deciduous trees, shrubs and vines on south and west sides of the home to provide shade in the summer and sunshine in the winter. 
• Keep the outside of air-conditioning units free from leaves and other debris that can clog vents. 
• Keep cooking systems well tuned with periodic maintenance by service professionals. 
• Close off unoccupied areas and shut air-conditioning vents; also, turn off the air conditioner when the area is not being used. 
• More tips from the DLEG Energy Office are at www.michigan.gov/energyoffice.

Heat & Humidity Health Tips
These tips are especially important for the elderly, the very young and others with chronic health problems. 

• Keep the air circulating. 
• Stay out of the direct sun as much as possible. 
• Keep outdoor activities to a minimum especially during the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and drink plenty of fluids if you have to be outdoor during these hours. 
• Wear weather appropriate clothing - lightweight, loose-fitting clothes made from a fabric that easily absorbs body perspiration is recommended. 
• Drinking water is especially important since excessive perspiration depletes large quantities of salt and fluid from the body. 
• Take tepid baths - this will help reduce the body's internal temperature and increase comfort.

Signs for heat exhaustion or heat stroke 

• Heat exhaustion can result from the overexposure to heat or the sun. Long exposure to extreme heat or too much activity under a hot sun causes excessive perspiration. When the amount of salt and fluid in the body fall to below normal, heat exhaustion may occur. 
  • Early symptoms include headache and a feeling of weakness and dizziness usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting. 
  • There may also be cramps in the muscles of the arms, legs, or abdomen. Treatment should include removing the person to a cool environment and increased consumption of fluids. 
• Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke, is a profound disturbance in the body's heat-regulating mechanism caused by prolonged exposure to excessive heat particularly when there is little or no circulation of air. Since heat stroke is much more dangerous than heat exhaustion and is treated differently, it is important to distinguish between the two. 
  • While the early symptoms are similar, the later symptoms differ sharply - in heat exhaustion there is excessive perspiration and a normal or below normal temperature. 
  • By contrast, in heat stroke there is an extremely high fever and absence of perspiration. The primary objective in heat stroke is to reduce the body's temperature as rapidly as possible via a cool water or sponge bath. A physician should also be contacted immediately.

Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.