On Sunday, the heat plan was already active for the provinces of Limburg and Noord-Brabant. With the plan, RIVM warns organizations, caregivers and people in the care of the persistent heat so that they can take appropriate measures.
Keep sunburn within reach: tropical warm in the coming days
Especially people over 75 are a vulnerable group at high temperatures. At an older age, the incentive for drinking and therefore the elderly runs more risk to dry out. According to RIVM, people with a chronic condition, people in social isolation, homeless people and young children can also get health problems if measures are not taken. But people in good health can also suffer from overheating or heat exhaustion, warns RIVM.
Video: See: here it gets really hot
RIVM calls on people to pay extra attention to those for whom they take care of or vulnerable people in their environment during the heat. For example, they can place drinks with others and help keep the house cool by, among other things, closing curtains.
The KNMI advises on the website, among other things, to stay out of the sun, drink enough water and not to do heavy physical activities between 12:00 and 18:00. It is also advice not to leave children and pets in a closed car, not even for a few minutes.
The last time the National Heat Plan was in force, was from 10 to 16 August 2022. An important criterion for proclaming the plan is persistent heat of four days or longer, where it is also called in the nights.
A heat plan is not the same as a heat wave. The latter is the case if it has been at least 25 degrees in De Bilt in De Bilt, of which at least three days above 30 degrees.
Rijkswaterstaat uses heat protocol for stranded road users
Rijkswaterstaat sets the heat protocol for almost the entire country on Monday. Stranded road users are helped with the protocol as quickly as possible.
The heat protocol means, among other things, that a salvage car will immediately go to every breakdown. This is to prevent people from being in the heat along the road for too long. Because, according to Rijkswaterstaat, “with high outside temperatures, the temperature of the road surface can rise above 50 ° C”. The protocol applies between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Road users are also advised to bring enough water, “even if you only go on the road for a short piece.” Furthermore, it is wise to put an umbrella in the car. “If you are in tropical temperatures along the road with bad luck, an umbrella offers good protection against the sun.”
Also measures on construction sites in the event of a large heat
Construction companies take various measures on construction sites in large heat to protect employees against overheating, combustion and dehydration. According to Bouwend Nederland, there is a heat protocol for this.
For example, enough cool drinking water and cooling jackets are made available, adjusted working hours are made by a tropical grid that be started earlier, extra breaks are held, devices that release heat as much as possible are switched off, work is worked in the shade as much as possible and extra fans are placed.
In addition, employers are obliged to make sunscreen available at the construction site. Employees must use this or from a solar cream created. Furthermore, employees who suffer from headaches, nausea or dizziness must immediately look for a cool environment.