Climate change frequently asked questions

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.

Workers can learn more on our extreme temperatures page.

Southeast 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 behaviour (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?
  • The age of children and any underlying medical conditions that may make them more vulnerable to extreme heat
  • The 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

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 with, 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.

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 notices in common areas encouraging them to contact the municipality to familiarize themselves with the location and hours of cooling centres throughout the community.
• 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
  • Cool down by taking cooler baths or showers
  • 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.

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 association.

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

Workers can learn more on our extreme temperatures page.

Southeast 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

In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act sets out the rights, responsibilities, and rules for landlords and tenants. According to Ontario Regulation 517/06, if a landlord provides heat, it must be kept at a minimum temperature of 20°C from September 1 to June 15. However, some municipal standards may be higher.

Resources

• Solve a disagreement with your landlord or tenant – Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Maintenance and Repairs – Tribunals Ontario

Tenants can learn more on our extreme temperatures page.

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

Maintaining your property is an effective way to keep ticks away. This includes:

• 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 sandboxes are not near wooded areas

To keep mosquitoes away:

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

Refer to municipal bylaw or contact your local bylaw enforcement office.

Refer to your school or school board’s internal policy.

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

The right concentration of DEET for:

• Adults and children older than 12 years is up to 30 percent
• Children two to 12 years is up to 10 percent
  • You can apply the product up to three times daily, but do not use daily for more than a month
• Children six months to two years old is up to 10 percent
  • You should not apply the product more than once a day
• For infants younger than six months, do not use an insect repellent containing DEET. Instead, use a mosquito net when babies are outdoors in a crib or stroller.

Resources

• Insect Repellents – Caring for Kids
• Using Insect Repellents Safely – Government of Canada
• Personal Insect Repellents – Government of Canada

Maintaining school property is an effective way to keep ticks away. This includes:

• 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 sandboxes are not near wooded areas

To keep mosquitoes away:

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

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 association.

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.

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 Air Quality Health Index before and during an event, as Air Quality Health Index 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 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.

Southeast 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 Air Quality Health Index level to make internal decisions
• Consider the following factors:
  • The 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.)
  • The 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

The best way to reduce exposure to poor outdoor air quality or wildfire smoke is to prepare your properties. Here are some tips to help:

• 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.

Refer to Health Canada for information on sunscreen safety tips, understanding sunscreen labels and types of sunscreen.