The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will implement a half-hour “heat stroke break” for its personnel starting Saturday, April 1, to cope with the intense heat of the sun on the burning roads.
MMDA acting chairperson Don Artes stated this, Wednesday, after he signed a memorandum circular against the possibility of heat exhaustion, heat stroke and heat cramps this summer or hot dry season.
“This move is part of the agency’s efforts to prevent heat-related illness among our outdoor workers who brave the searing heat every day to fulfill their duties and responsibilities,” said Artes.
“Their safety is of paramount importance.”
The said heat stroke break will be implemented from April 1st to May 31st. The order covers on-duty traffic enforcers and street sweepers, who can leave their posts to take shelter from the sun to cool down.
It is said that the warm and dry season will last until May, which is already affecting many.
“The heat stroke break shall be done alternately by those who are assigned in a particular area to maintain visibility of traffic enforcers and street sweepers and to ensure field operations are not hampered,” explained Artes.
It is said that a 15-minute break-time can be added when the heat index or “human discomfort index” reaches 40°C or higher.
MMDA personnel given 30-minute heat break
According to the Department of Health (DOH), heat stroke refers to when the heat has a direct negative effect on human organs which results in:
- increased heart rate
- difficulty in breathing
- fainting
If left untreated, it can cause permanent disability or death if not treated immediately, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Just yesterday when the highest “maximum heat index” recorded in the Philippines reached 42°C this Tuesday (Tacloban, Leyte). It reached 40°C at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Metro Manila yesterday around 2 p.m.
The heat index measures the contribution of high humidity to abnormally high temperatures that reduce the body’s capacity to cool itself.
It was only March 23rd when 104 students at Gulod National High School – Mamatid Extension in Cabuyao, Laguna were rushed to the hospital due to extreme heat during a fire drill.
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