I’m writing this on one of the first days of summer, after spending part of the morning and early afternoon (2.5 hours) riding my bike (25 miles) on the Perkiomen Trail, which follows the gentle Perkiomen River about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

It is by far the hottest day of the year. According to AccuWeather, the temperature where I live is 100⁰F at 1:30 pm. The “RealFeel” (heat index = heat + humidity) is 112⁰F and in the shade it is 107⁰F.

An extreme heat warning is in effect for the next two days. 

This is part of a dangerous heat wave with 170 million Americans sweating out record-smashing temperatures, according to AccuWeather.

OSHA heat stress prevention standard hearings

Today also marks the beginning of the second week of public comment hearings via digital streaming on OSHA’s proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Indoor and Outdoor Workplaces standard. 

I thought about this proposal as I rode the trail. In the anti-regulatory Trump administration, it is surprising the proposal has gotten this far to a public hearing. The odds are it won’t get much further. Even in the most receptive political climate, a final heat stress standard would be two or three years away, given the hoops and hurdles of the standards-setting bureaucracy. This means that in states without heat stress standards (California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Maryland and Nevada have differing rules — some apply to both indoor and outdoor exposures, outdoor only, indoor only, and in Colorado for agricultural workers), it will be left to employers to decide on heat triggers; provisions for water, paid rest and shade; acclimatization; training; and emergency response. Or not.

I was out in this heat blast for less than three hours, often riding in the shade, and at my own pace. Working in this oven for almost three times as long is what struck me. Heat kills. Between 34 to 40 workers die per year from heat exposure, according to EPA and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates. About 3,389 suffer from heat illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke every year, according to the BLS.

These figures are likely underestimated because some heat-related illnesses may not be reported or properly diagnosed.

Where complacency comes in

I get the under-reporting angle. I think part of it is a matter of attitude. My own attitude during today’s ride was not safety first. 

I didn’t give a thought to acclimatization. This spring in Philadelphia has been wet and cool. Temperatures have never reached 90⁰F. Then today, boom. Literally overnight it went from 80⁰F to 100⁰F.

I brought no water. I won’t be out that long. And I don’t have a bottle holder on my bike.

I didn’t stop after two hours for a break, which is what OSHA’s proposal calls for if the heat index exceeds 90⁰ F (a required 15-minute rest). 

I didn’t read up on signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke. How dehydration can cause dizziness, nausea, headaches, blurred vision, confusion, muscle spasms, seizures, even a coma or a heart attack. Dire consequences were not top of mind.

All I knew was that I was drenched in sweat after a couple of hours and couldn’t wait for a cold shower back home. I stopped off for a water bottle after about two hours. Had to. 16.9 ounces of aqua never tasted so good. At the end of the ride, I sat on my front steps and couldn’t move. Couldn’t really think. Felt like I was some sort of heat-fatigued zombie. 

I met up with a number of people on the trail who seemed nonchalant about the 100⁰ F temperature. Some were pedaling away and pulling away from my leisurely pace in a hurry. Some were walking dogs or walking alone or with a companion. Most of the experienced bikers had water bottles attached to their bikes. Some bikers had no water — and no helmets. I didn’t see many of the walkers carrying water. Maybe they didn’t plan on being out long. Maybe the overnight extreme temperature change caught them by surprise. Or, hey, this is what summer is like.

It's too easy to take heat for granted

After all, we’ve been “acclimated” to heat, hot summers our whole lives. Probably few of us know of someone who got sick from cramps, exhaustion or heatstroke. Or maybe some did and didn’t tell anyone — back to that underreporting. 

For some of us, heat is like hard work. You just put up with it. You don’t complain. You push through. Rest, shower, crank up the AC when it’s over. That lamentable cliché — “it is what it is” — can apply to heat.

Today on the trail I was guilty of a risk-taking attitude and got away with it. I wanted to test myself. How far can I go in this heat? This will be a good workout to catch up with friends who bike 40-50 miles a day. Who knows what trouble my ego might have gotten me into if I rode on (or worked on) for a couple more hours. 

Don’t gamble with heat. I’m getting a bottle holder for my bike. I’ll swallow my pride in the future, take a break, and sit on one of those trail benches for a while. The health risks will be on my mind. My goal is to build up endurance to ride a little more than twice the distance I did today, so I can bike to Philadelphia and back. I used to be able to do that. But I was younger and in better shape. That’s another thing. Let’s not kid ourselves about aging, losing endurance and being more vulnerable to health risks when it comes to working or playing in the heat. 

Have fun this summer. And when it comes to the high temperatures, be more aware, sensible and smarter about it than I was today.