Heat Illness Prevention: Vehicle Cooling & Preparing for the Day Transcript 

 In the hot summer months, you’re more at risk of a heat-related incident due to the increased temperature and humidity. But did you know that most heat illnesses are preventable? This video will provide you with tips to stay safe in the heat by coming to work prepared for the day, keeping your vehicle cool, taking breaks, and asking for help when needed. First, let’s talk about coming to work prepared. Coming to work prepared means having slept 6-8 hours the night before, wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, having a healthy breakfast, and being fully hydrated.Consuming alcohol the day or evening before working in the heat can make you dehydrated, and excessive use of energy drinks during the day can cause other health problems when working in the heat. Instead, try to drink up to one half bottle of water every 15 to 20 minutes, but not to exceed a total of 2 bottles of water every hour. You can also add in some electrolytes like Sqwincher, Powerade, or Gatorade to supplement your hydration, especially when sweating heavily. Keep in mind that taking too many electrolytes can create an imbalance and may make you feel dizzy, have cramps, mental confusion, or an irregular heartbeat. So it’s good to always balance them with plenty of plain water. The main thing to remember is that if you feel thirsty, that means you are already dehydrated. So don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water. Another way you can prepare for your day is by keeping a cooler with ice in your vehicle and storing a cooling bandana in it. It’s recommended that the ice-cold bandana or a cold water bottle be placed on the back of your neck, behind your elbows and knees, the insides of your wrists, your temples, inside your ankles, and your inner thighs to help cool your core body temperature down throughout the day. If you do not have a cooling bandana, reach out to your DSP or Station team, as they will have heat-prevention supplies available for you. Now let’s talk about things you can do to keep the vehicle cool. As vehicles sit for a while, like before load-out or during breaks, they accumulate a build-up of heat. In these scenarios, open the back or side doors for 60 seconds or less, to allow hot air to escape before you climb in. Before and after every trip, complete the Driver Vehicle Inspection Checklist, or DVIC. Double-check that the air conditioning is cooling the vehicle properly. If it’s not, let your DSP owner or Station team know, as the vehicle should be grounded. While the vehicle is in motion, keep the bulkhead door closed. This is the door between the vehicle cab and the cargo area, and keeping it closed helps keep cool air from the air conditioning from escaping into the cargo compartment. Amazon has a team monitoring weather conditions and heat indexes down to the zip code and Delivery Station level. When the heat index reaches certain thresholds, we may make 

adjustments to operations to add additional break minutes to DA’s routes. When we do this, we’ll notify you directly via the Amazon Delivery app and via your DSP owner, and we want you to use these breaks to rest and hydrate more frequently. We do this to give you extra time for additional breaks without you having to stay on the road longer. So when we reduce your deliveries because of heat, we expect you to take breaks and rest more frequently to help your body recover from heat exposure. If you are a new hire or returning from a leave of a week or more when it is hot, additional break time will allow you to acclimatize, or gradually increase your working heat exposure and your heat tolerance. 

And lastly, ask for help when you need it. Reserve your energy by asking your DSP or Station teams for help during load-out. This can help ensure you don’t exert yourself more than necessary before going on road. 

Your safety is our top priority. As you go about your day, please check in with yourself and remain mindful of how you are feeling. If you are in a situation where your safety is at risk, contact your DSP and utilize the ‘Emergency Help’ button in the Amazon Delivery app. If your immediate health is at risk, call 911 right away.