Activities aim to raise heatstroke awareness

As the weather becomes hotter, working in the sun not only means sweating, but also a higher chance of getting heatstroke, which can be fatal if severe.

To raise awareness of the issue and show respect for outdoor workers, Guangzhou Wang Lao Ji Great Health Industry Corp, together with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, recently released a report on the health of outdoor workers, based on a survey covering about 2,440 respondents in 28 municipalities and provinces, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Chengdu in Sichuan province.

The company, affiliated with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group, will also kick off a series of heatstroke prevention educational events in cities that are known for their high temperatures in summer, such as Guangzhou, Chongqing, Jinan in Shandong province, and Wuhan in Hubei province. It also promised to donate to outdoor workers in those cities its signature product "liang cha", a traditional Chinese beverage that is believed to be able to help the body cool off and restore health in summer.

"People working outside despite high temperatures make a great contribution to our society, and deserve respect and care from the whole of society," said Wu Huinan, Party secretary with the company.

According to the survey, more than 80 percent of respondents said they have experienced heatstroke in the summer. About 21.16 percent said they have heatstroke every month, and 5.64 percent said they have heatstroke every week.

Skyscraper cleaners, landscaping workers, traffic police officers and firefighters are more likely to have heatstroke than other respondents, the survey showed.

About one-fifth of respondents, who are mainly skyscraper cleaners, construction workers, and railway maintenance workers, said they work more than eight hours a day.

About half of the respondents said they hope a High Temperature and Care Day for outdoor workers will be established, so that they can receive more attention and support from society.

Wu, an executive with the company, said the firm will continue to raise awareness of heatstroke prevention for outdoor workers, and suggested employers take more measures to help outdoor workers stay healthy on hot days.

Since 2001, the company has donated 1 million cans of liang cha to outdoor workers, the company said.

At the news conference, Li Xiaozhong, a high-ranking official of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, spoke highly of the company's efforts to raise awareness of outdoor workers' health, and said the federation will set up more facilities where outdoor workers can rest and enjoy reading books.