Thermal Health and Safety

Heat stress and dehydration

In the hotter parts of Australia, dehydration and heat stress can be a risk, particularly for unacclimatised people. Full acclimatisation generally requires about ten days of exercise in hot conditions. Information about heat illness is available from the electronic journal, THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTS MEDICINE. While exercising in the heat, it is quite possible to lose a litre of water or more per hour; continual replacement is necessary to avoid dehydration. In the hot dry climatic regions, you can take advantage of the large daily variation of temperature to make your stay more comfortable. During summer in the hot dry zone, anything energetic is best done in the hours around sunrise - the coolest time of day. For example in Alice Springs, the January daily minimum temperature averages 21 degrees C, while the January maximum is usually about 15 degrees C warmer.

Precautions:(provided by Sports Medicine Australia) Wear a broad-brimmed hat and cool loose clothes which "breathe", use sun screen (preferably water-based) and carry copious supplies of water (drink around 500 ml before leaving your accommodation, then 200-300 ml every 15 minutes). In hot conditions, exercise should be reduced in duration and intensity, or postponed to a more suitable (cooler) time. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee increase fluid loss, thus promoting dehydration. They are best avoided before, during and after exercising, until fluid losses have been completely replaced.

Cold exposure

In spite of Australia's image as a hot dry country, exposure (hypothermia) is a possibility in parts of the cool temperate region. In the high country, the weather can change quickly, and snow can fall at any time of year.

Precautions: Wear boots and wear or carry warm clothes in several layers, including warm headgear and gloves. Carry effective rain gear and plenty of food (carbohydrates are best) to keep the inner fires burning. Tired people are more susceptible to cold exposure, so partying the night before your trip, or feats of endurance on the day, are not advisable. Carry adequate fluids; cold weather promotes fluid loss as the blood vessels contract to conserve body heat. Alcohol increases heat loss from the body by dilating surface blood vessels. In spite of the life-saving St Bernard dog myth, it is best to postpone the brandy until you are back at the ski-lodge!