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Resources
Weather, Heat Index, and Air Quality
- Check your local news or radio stations for weather forecasts or check weather online at sites like weather.gov
- Get air quality advisories
from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection
- Check the heat index forecast from the National Weather Service
- Learn more about the heat index
Information about People Who May Have Trouble in the Heat
- Older Adults
- Infants, Children
and Youth
- New! Keeping Kids Safe Tipsheet - Maine CDC (PDF)
- New! Tips to Beat The Heat - Maine CDC (PDF)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement
- National Athletic Trainer's Association Heat Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics
- Mayo Clinic: Dehydration and Youth Sports
- U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Brochure: Play It Safe in the Sun: A Guide for Parents
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: SunWise Kids
- Workers
- OSHA Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers
- OHSA Heat Safety App
(Calculates Heat Index and provides risk estimate; English/Spanish)
- OSHA Information on Using the Heat Index: A Guide for Employers
- NIOSH Heat Stress Information
- CDC Heat Toolkit for Outdoor Workers
- OSHA Standards For Heat Stress
- NIOSH Fact Sheet: Protecting Yourself from Heat Stress
- NIOSH Fact Sheet: Protecting Yourself from Sun Exposure
- OSHA Heat Stress Fact Sheet (PDF)
- OSHA Quick Card on Heat (PDF)
- OSHA Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers
Community Resources about Preparing for a Heat Event
- Check out this Heat Events Guidebook for Communities
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Other Health and Safety Things to Think about When it is Hot
- This fact sheet
(PDF*) from the Environmental Protection Agency describes skin cancer in Maine.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have more information on protecting yourself from skin cancer
.
- Check out the Sunscreen for Your Sun Day brochure
(PDF*) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- See this web site
for Information about choosing the appropriate sunglasses for children
- This U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site lists steps you can take to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning if your power goes out
.
- Tips on how to stay safe if your power goes out
.
- More on food safety during a power outage
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- The Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Savers
web page has suggestions to improve energy efficiency during hot weather. Check out their tips on cooling your home
and how to conduct an energy audit
.
- Tips on healthy swimming.
- When getting gas for your vehicle, remember not to top off your gas tank. Topping off can spill gasoline which quickly evaporates. Gasoline vapors can harm your family's health and make air quality worse. In hot weather, buy gas in the early morning or at night. Read more
.
Climate and Health Adaptation in Maine
The University of Maine Climate Change Institute published an update to its 2009 report, Maine's Climate Future . These reports consider the implications of continued climate change in Maine.
People and Nature Adapting to a Changing Climate is a report from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection describing findings and recommendations from a climate change stakeholder adaptation process. Report Summary
This 2014 report from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection evaluates Maine's progress toward meeting greenhouse gas reduction goals established in P.L. 2003, ch. 237.