Heat Stroke vs. Heat Exhaustion — Deep Dive

Talking points

1. Heat exhaustion is the body's warning: heavy sweating, weakness, cool and clammy skin, nausea, and a fast but weak pulse. The person is still sweating — the cooling system is overloaded but still working.
2. Heat stroke is the failure: the body stops sweating, core temperature climbs above 104°F, and the brain begins to shut down. Look for confusion, slurred speech, hot dry skin, seizures, or loss of consciousness.
3. Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke in as little as 10-15 minutes if the worker continues exerting in the heat. Remove them from the heat immediately and begin cooling.
4. For heat exhaustion: move to shade, lay them down with legs elevated, loosen clothing, apply cool wet cloths, and give sips of water. For heat stroke: call 911 first, then cool aggressively — ice packs at the neck, armpits, and groin.
5. Do not give water to a heat stroke victim who is confused or unconscious — they may aspirate. Focus on rapid cooling until EMS arrives.

Ask the crew

Can you tell the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke — and what would you do differently for each one?

Standards this talk is built on

• Section 5(a)(1)

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

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