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Precautions Taken Due To Heat
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On August 8 with a heat index of 111 degrees, weather conditions are extreme. School principals, football coaches and band directors are working to keep children safe during the extreme heat.
At 1 p.m. on August 8, the temperature was 98 degrees in Raleigh and the relative humidity was 47 percent. These are two markers that WCPSS guidelines encourage school principals to use in making decisions about students being involved in outdoor activities during extreme conditions.
The Instructional Services Division of the Wake County Public School System provided school principals with summer weather guidelines based on weather related precautions recommended by the state high school athletic association. The guidelines encourage principals to consider temperature and humidity to assist school-based staff in preventing heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
These guidelines encourage school officials to have limited exertion and time when they decide outdoor activities should be conducted in extreme heat, to provide unlimited access to water and to closely monitor children.
When conditions are most severe with temperatures 90 degrees or above and humidity over 50 percent, the guidelines recommend shortened outdoor physical activities and unlimited water replacement breaks.
When the temperature is 80-90 degrees and humidity is over 70 percent, the guidelines recommend all students and staff should be under constant and careful supervision with rest breaks every 20-30 minutes and unlimited water replacement breaks.
When the temperature is 80-90 degrees and humidity is under 70 percent, the guidelines recommend observation of students or staff who are susceptible to heat illness. The guidelines provide advice to principals and their staff on making informed decisions regarding outdoor activities.
The hot weather is making for hot rides home in the afternoon. Of the 870 school system buses, 300 are air conditioned. There are 475 buses serving students now including all 300 air conditioned buses.
WCPSS Athletic Director Bobby Guthrie reviewed hot weather guidelines with school athletic directors and athletic trainers in a meeting last month. Similar information has been provided high school band directors as they begin summer practices.
Schools are now in their second week of football practice and have already been practicing at carefully-selected times of the day because of the heat. Experienced athletic trainers are on hand at practices to monitor student athletes. Unlimited access to fluids is available. Hot weather guidelines for athletic practice are online here.
Posted by Bill Poston at 04:10 PM on August 08, 2007 | Leave Feedback
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