Climate Change FAQ

What should I do if my employees work outside and I am worried about heat-related illnesses? 

It is important you:

• Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses
• Institute prevention measures to manage heat stress at work
• Have a response plan

If you need to work outdoors, check with your provincial occupational health and safety association.

Resources 

• Temperature Conditions - Hot - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
• Heat Stress Toolkit - Occupational Health Clinics for Canadian Workers Inc. 

At what temperature or humidex should we keep students indoors, and cancel sporting events and trips?

KFL&A Public Health does not set out maximum or minimum temperatures for outdoor play. As such, it is important that you:

• Refer to your internal policy where possible; otherwise, the decision is determined at your facility administrator’s discretion
• Know how to recognize and prevent heat-related illnesses; in children symptoms include:
  • Changes in behavior (sleepiness or temper tantrums)
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Nausea or vomiting
• Consider the following factors:
  • Availability of shade in the yard and at field trip and sporting event locations
  • Access to drinking water or other means of hydration
  • Timing of the trip or sporting event or outdoor time – is it scheduled during the hottest part of the day?
  • Age of children and any underlying medical conditions that may make them more vulnerable to extreme heat
  • Ability of staff to recognize and react to heat-related illnesses
  • Availability of other areas where people can cool down (e.g., spaces with air conditioning)
  • Whether strenuous activity can be avoided

Resources

• Keep Children Cool - Government of Canada

What if my rental unit is too hot?

In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act sets out the rights, responsibilities and rules for landlords and tenants. You would need to check your lease for specifics on being provided or using an air conditioner. 

Resources

• Air conditioning: Ontario housing law basics - Canadian Centre for Housing Rights

Tenants can learn more on our extreme temperatures page.

How can I help my tenants avoid heat-related illness?

A landlord can take the following measures to decrease the risk of heat-related illness for residents or tenants:

• Provide access to a cool area for several hours at a time (for example, a basement area or common space with air conditioning)
• Allow air to circulate by keeping hallway windows partially open
• Use fans at night to draw in cool air, but do not rely on fans as a main cooling device during prolonged periods of extreme heat
• Provide residents with information on heat-related illness and post information in common spaces (near elevators, stairs, lobby, etc.) about heat safety and cooling locations in KFL&A
• Have building staff routinely check-in on at-risk residents
• Ask residents to:
  • Keep windows slightly open, especially at night to let cooler air in
  • Keep curtains or drapes drawn to block the sun
  • Turn-off any non-essential lighting
  • Make meals that don’t need to be cooked in an oven
  • Suggest tenants cool down by taking cooler baths or showers
  • Suggest tenants avoid midday heat and only go outside during cooler periods (i.e. the morning or evening)

Additional Resources

• Heat warnings and heat related illness (available in multiple languages - City of Hamilton)
• Tenants can learn more on our extreme temperatures page.

What should I do if my employees work outside and I am worried about cold-related illnesses? 

It is important you:

• Know the signs and symptoms of cold-related illnesses
• Institute prevention measures to manage cold stress at work
• Have a response plan

If you need to work outdoors, check with your provincial occupational health and safety associations.

Resources

• What can employers do to protect workers from cold stress? - Workplace Safety and Prevention Services
• Cold Environments: Working in the Cold - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 
• Cold Stress - National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, Centre for Disease Control

Workers can learn more on our extreme temperatures page.

At what temperature or wind chill should we keep students indoors?  

KFL&A Public Health does not set out maximum or minimum temperatures for outdoor play. As such, it is important that you: 

• Refer to your internal policy where possible; otherwise, the decision is determined at your facility administrator’s discretion
• Know how to recognize and prevent cold-related harms
• Consider the following factors:
  • Whether students have appropriate winter clothing
  • Availability of shelter from wind in the yard or outdoor area
  • Ability of staff to recognize and address cold-related health impacts

Resources

• Keeping Kids Safe During Winter Activities - Canadian Red Cross
• Frostbite - Caring for Kids

Under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, every person who owns a residential building shall provide potable water for the residents of the residential building.

Extreme weather, floods, fire and drought are examples of events that can damage wells and contaminate well water.

The only way to know if your water is safe to drink after an emergency is to have it tested.

Resources

• Be Well Aware: Ensure your well water is safe during and after emergencies - Government of Canada

Tenants can learn more on our extreme weather and natural hazards page

How to I create a tick-free zone on the property?

• Keeping grass short
• Trimming bushes and branches
• Removing brush, leaves and weeds
• Using gravel or woodchips to create a border around areas close to tall grass or woods
• Ensuring swing sets, playground equipment and/or sandboxes are not near wooded areas

How do I keep mosquitos away from the property? 

• Remove any standing water (mosquitos lay their eggs in even small amounts of stagnant water)
• Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed and avoid overgrowth (mosquitos often rest in dense shrubbery) 
• If you have a compost pile, turn it often

Are schools allowed to remove ticks? 

Is DEET safe for children? How often should it be applied 

DEET can be used safely when applied as directed and in the right concentration, depending on age. 

How do I create a tick-free zone on school property?

• Keeping grass short
• Trimming bushes and branches
• Removing brush, leaves and weeds
• Using gravel or woodchips to create a border around areas close to tall grass or woods
• Ensuring swing sets, playground equipment and/or sandboxes are not near wooded areas

How do I keep mosquitos away from school property? 

• Remove any standing water (mosquitos lay their eggs in even small amounts of stagnant water)
• Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed and avoid overgrowth (mosquitos often rest in dense shrubbery) 

What can I do if I am worried about poor air quality or wildfire smoke in the workplace? 

1. Know the signs and symptoms of poor air quality and wildfire smoke
2. Institute prevention measures
3. Have a response plan

If you need to work outdoors, check with your provincial occupational health and safety associations

Resources

• Wildfire Smoke in Canada - Workplace Safety and Prevention Services
• Wildfire smoke: Frequently asked questions - WorkSafe BC
• Clearing the Air on Wildfire Smoke Safety - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

 Workers can learn more on our air quality page.

I am hosting a sporting or outdoor event, or operate an outdoor facility. What do I need to know when poor air quality is forecasted?

Whether the sporting or outdoor event will proceed as planned is at the discretion of the organizers.

When deciding whether to hold, continue, or modify an event, organizers should consider:

• Monitoring forecasted Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) conditions and decide how to proceed based on the organizers’ risk assessment
• The type of activity involved, the level of exertion required, the age and relative health of all participants and the needs of participants or spectators
• Modifying or limiting outdoor activities (if necessary)

Consult the AQHI before and during an event, as AQHI levels may change quickly.

• People participating in sports breathe more deeply and rapidly, which allows more air pollution to enter the lungs. This puts people who are active outdoors at greater risk when air quality is poor.
• Just as an outdoor sporting event (game, practice, tournament, etc.) may be cancelled or rescheduled due to thunderstorms, extreme heat or other weather conditions, it is important to consider air quality when making decisions about an event.

KFL&A Public Health does not set, mandate, or enforce air-quality related requirements in school and childcare settings. As such, it is important to:

• Refer to your internal policy where possible
• Use Health Canada’s air quality health messages based on the AQHI level to make internal decision
• Consider the following factors:
  • Level of activity being engaged in
  • Availability of ‘clean air’ spaces
  • Whether children, students, and staff are considered at higher risk of adverse health effects (due to age, medical conditions, etc.)
  • Length of time being spent outdoors

• Check filtration status of HEPA filters and HVAC systems more frequently
• Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool

Resources

• Wildfire Smoke and Air Quality Reference Document - Government of Ontario

• Protect Your Indoor Environment from overheating and wildfire smoke - Government of Canada

• Properly seal windows and doors
• Consider purchasing one or more certified, properly-sized portable air purifiers
• Reduce other sources of indoor air pollution such as cigarette smoke and take steps to improve air quality in your properties
• Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool
• Change the filters of your ventilation system and portable air cleaner regularly during wildfire smoke events. Clogged filters are not effective at removing smoke.

What types of sunscreen are safe for children?