Las Vegas summers have always been hot, but they’re getting hotter.

A recent Climate Central analysis found that Las Vegas summer temperatures have warmed 6.2 degrees since 1970, placing the city among the fastest-warming summer locations in the country. The National Weather Service has also documented the local warming trend, including rising average temperatures and a faster increase in overnight lows.

Hotter temperatures increase the risk of heat illness for anyone spending time outdoors, including UNLV employees. Under UNLV’s Heat Stress Program, the Risk Management & Safety (RMS) team helps departments prepare for extreme summer conditions through training, site-specific Heat Illness Prevention Plans, and heat index surveys.

The program applies to contractors, employees, volunteers, and student workers who perform work in hot environments on campus. Departments can register for heat stress training or participate in an on-demand training through the CHIMERA portal.

In the meantime, Dan Bollard, safety training specialist with RMS, says the program's central message can be summed up in three words: water, rest, and shade. 

Drink Water Before You Feel Thirsty

Thirst is not the first warning sign of heat illness. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already mildly dehydrated.

When working or walking actively outdoors in the heat, drink about 4 cups, or 32 ounces, of  water each hour. That equals approximately one cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Energy drinks, sugary sodas, and heavily caffeinated beverages should not replace water during extended heat exposure.

Water should also be easy to access so that you can drink consistently and refill when necessary. There are more than 100 water-bottle refill stations in 31 buildings across our campuses — but if your work won’t take place near a refill station, be sure to bring enough water with you.

Pace Yourself and Rest

Heat illness can develop unexpectedly, especially when you are working hard to finish a task or moving quickly between locations.

Take short, frequent breaks that give the body time to cool down and recover. Employees performing strenuous outdoor work may need to alternate shorter periods of activity with regular rest breaks rather than working continuously for long stretches. Work with your manager to make sure you are taking appropriate breaks based on the temperature and the level of physical activity involved in your work. Managers can help determine when additional rest and recovery time may be needed to allow employees to cool down and work safely.

This guidance applies to anyone working outdoors or in a space without air conditioning. Extra care may be needed when someone is new to an outdoor crew, beginning a summer assignment, or returning to field work after time away. It also applies during large campus events, when security, custodial, parking, traffic, and event staff may be moving between indoor spaces, outdoor posts, and paved areas around venues such as the Thomas & Mack Center and The Pavilion.

UNLV’s Heat Stress Program emphasizes acclimatization, which allows the body to adjust gradually to working in hot conditions. Rather than beginning with a full day of exposure, new or returning workers should increase their time in the heat over 7 to 14 days.

Stay in the Shade When Possible

A break only helps if the body has a chance to cool down.

Stopping work while remaining in direct sunlight can leave the body exposed to continued heat. Take breaks in the shade or in a climate-controlled space whenever possible. That may mean moving under a tree, awning, canopy, or shade tent, or going inside an air-conditioned building.

For departments with employees who regularly work outdoors, RMS can help evaluate work areas and identify practical safeguards, including shaded rest areas, cooldown spaces, adjusted schedules, job rotation, buddy systems, and cooling equipment.

Shade is also important for anyone walking across campus this time of year. Pavement and concrete absorb and radiate heat, making afternoon trips between buildings especially taxing. Limit time in direct sun when possible and allow time to cool down indoors after a walk, particularly during excessive heat warnings or extended periods of triple-digit temperatures.

Know the Difference Between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

Recognizing heat illness early can keep it from becoming life-threatening.

Heat exhaustion requires prompt attention and can worsen quickly. Symptoms may include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, elevated body temperature, a fast heart rate, or decreased urine output.

Move the person to a cooler area and do not leave them alone. Remove or loosen unnecessary clothing, use cool water or cold compresses to begin lowering their body temperature, and offer frequent sips of cool water if they are fully alert and able to swallow safely. The person should also receive medical evaluation. Call 911 if their condition worsens, medical care is not readily available, or you are unsure how serious the illness is.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Warning signs may include confusion, unusual behavior, slurred speech, loss of consciousness, seizures, a very high body temperature, or hot skin with either heavy sweating or no sweating. On campus, call 911 from a campus phone or 702-895-3669 from a cellphone immediately.

While waiting for emergency medical care, move the person to a shaded or cool area, remove outer clothing, and begin cooling them right away. Wet the skin or clothing with cool water, circulate air around the person, and place cold, wet cloths or ice packs on the head, neck, armpits, and groin. Stay with the person until help arrives. Do not give anything, including water, by mouth to someone who is confused, unconscious, having a seizure, or otherwise unable to swallow safely.

RMS Training and Support

RMS offers online and in-person heat stress training to help employees recognize symptoms, respond appropriately, and reduce the risk of heat illness. Courses and registration are available through CHIMERA Safety Training.

Departments can also contact RMS for help developing Heat Illness Prevention Plans or conducting heat index surveys. Recommendations may consider the type of work being performed, the length and location of exposure, available cooling areas, and procedures for responding when someone develops symptoms.

Bollard also recommends the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool app. The app uses location-based weather data to provide the current heat index, hourly forecasts, and recommended precautions for outdoor work. Employees and supervisors can use it to plan activities and adjust schedules as conditions change.

Heat safety starts with the basics: drink water before thirst sets in, take breaks that allow the body to cool down, find real shade or air conditioning, and watch for symptoms in yourself and others. Stay safe out there, UNLV!