Focus on athletes' safety in heat

GAINESVILLE - They are called the Dog Days of Summer... hot, humid, sticky days - but high school football practice goes on in Georgia as does practice for the fall softball season. But not without extra precautions on the practice fields.

In 2006, when the state was baking in a prolonged heat wave, coaches in Hall County were issued heat index indicators to help them accurately measure weather conditions.

"We have ordered digital instruments that measure three conditions in the atmosphere critical for heat," Higgins said at the time. "That's the wind, the humidity and the temperature and the instrument will convert it to give you an index reading that show if an environment is comfortable to practice in or if it's a high risk condition."

Higgins said the index would indicate high-risk conditions requiring extreme caution and extra hydration for athletes to avoid heat related problems.

And, there are Heat Index/Temperature Guidelines they use - detailing everything from when helmets should be removed to how often and for how long breaks should be taken and at what point practice should be halted. (See link below.)

So far, according to spokesman Gordon Higgins, there have been no heat-related problems in Hall County.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Jerry Gunn contributed to this story.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/8/222395