Tagged with 'summer workplace safety'

June is just around the corner, and temperatures are beginning to heat up. Before you know it, we'll be in the dog days of summer with a great tan and long hours of daylight. While the summer is a beautiful and productive time for working outdoors, it can also be dangerous on extremely hot days. The best thing to do is to go to work prepared and understand your limits for exertion. Below are some tips to help you keep cool, avoid heat stroke, and maintain comfort throughout the day.
 

Dress Accordingly

While this may seem like a no-brainer, it's not always so simple. If we took a survey of road workers, we're pretty sure that most of them would absolutely love to show up to work with a t-shirt and shorts. However, due to their work environment (i.e. heavy equipment, rough terrain, hot asphalt and an array of grinding and cutting equipment) it's not safe or realistic to do so. The best option is to purchase proper garments that provide the necessary level of safety while helping to reduce heat build-up. Mesh safety shirts (instead of safety vests worn over a shirt), moisture-wicking headwear or specialty cooling gear such as the EZ-Cool Phase Change Cooling Vest will make your life much, much easier. Avoid dark colors, unnecessary layers and fabrics that don't breathe well. If you can't avoid light clothing due to heavy protective gear, you'll definitely need to invest in some sort of cooling technology. While it might be expensive, it's worth the price to avoid health issues and maintain a comfortable undergarment environment.
 

Pace Yourself

It's easy for the body to heat up rapidly under extreme temperatures, sometimes to the point where we cannot cool ourselves quick enough. Be wary of overexertion and know your personal limits. Even the most physically fit can suffer sudden heat-related issues with little to no warning under the right circumstance. You might find that you're blood is pumping heavily, your heart is beating rapidly and you're breathing heavily - which is fine under normal environments. But couple those with temperatures in the upper 90s or higher and it's a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, we can't perspire quick enough or lack sufficient fluids to maintain our pace and before we know it we find ourselves overwhelmed and in danger of heat stroke. It's best to rest as needed and refrain from pushing yourself in extreme temperatures.
 

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Did we mention that you should hydrate? We actually can't say this enough. While you probably start your day with a cup of coffee, you'd be smart to follow it with a sufficient amount of water. Starting out your day without proper hydration can be a recipe for disaster halfway through the day. By the time you begin to sweat heavily, there won't be enough water in your system to maintain proper cooling. Even if you begin to over hydrate, you won't be able to replenish yourself to the proper level without some sort of bloating, fatigue, or increased body temperature. Be sure to have plenty of hydrating fluids available on the job and sip it regularly. One great idea is to freeze a gallon bottle of water in your freezer overnight and take it with you to work. As long as it's kept protected from the sun, you'll have ice cold water for hours on end. Another option is to invest in a hydration system such as the Ergodyne Low Profile Hydration Pack. Water makes up a large part of our bodies and it's crucial to keep proper levels.
 

Rest as Needed and Seek Shade

When it's 100+ degrees, there's really no safe way to work outside. If you're not presenting yourself to the risk of sunburn, surely you're exposing yourself to temperatures where the human body has a tough time performing at it's best. In combination with setting a proper pace, it's highly important to rest at specific intervals. If you're digging holes in direct sunlight, set yourself to a 3 hole maximum before seeking a short break. Of course, this will depend on the the size of the holes, but we're just trying to give a basic example. When resting, locking your fingers above your head creates minor expansion in the lungs, allowing you to process as much air as possible. This can help you cool at a quicker rate. While it's difficult to give perfect examples because of different tasks, different environments and varying degrees of exertion required on a given job, it's safe to say that you need to listen to your body. If you're heating up or if you need to catch your breath, than take a break and hydrate until your body says you're okay to continue. If the job site is large with very little or no cover from the sun, consider utilizing a portable shade tent for a break & hydration area.
 
There you have it! Dress accordingly, stay hydrated, pace yourself and break regularly. You might want to organize a specific plan with your boss, employees or co-workers for handling the extreme heat. Nobody wants to suffer from heat stress or encounter heat stroke. The best kind of worker is a productive worker and while the heat makes it difficult, there are several ways to organize and optimize for productivity during extremely hot weather.
 

Summer is upon us again, an it seems like it was just yesterday that we were writing blogs on summer safety. While winter is over, there is now a more dangerous season ahead when it comes to the workplace. Although winter is uncomfortably cold, most people simply dress warm because they know how easy it is to catch frostbite while working outside. It seems as if our bodies tell us "nooo way you cannot deal with this cold" and so we dress accordingly for comfort. Yet, in the summer while we might dress accordingly, it can be much easier to misjudge our body's reactions and/or ability to deal with the heat. To put it simply, it's more likely that you'll suffer heat stress, heat exhaustion or even heat stroke while working during the summer than you will suffer from frostbite or hypothermia in the winter. The symptoms differ and many times we'll tell ourselves we can keep pushing on when our bodies literally cannot.
 
What we wanted to do here is make a quick review of a few things to remember, talk about amongst coworkers, employees or your employer in hopes of creating awareness about just how serious the summer heat can be.
 
1.) Make sure that you stay hydrated, especially during strenuous physical activity. Don't wait until lunch time to take a drink and try to stay away from sugary sodas and energy drinks as these can make us even more dehydrated. Talk to the boss or co-workers about a drink station or a shared cooler that scan be loaded with ice water to ensure everyone has access to fluids as needed. One great idea is to take a jug of water and throw it into the freezer each night. When you leave for work in the morning, bring it along. Keep it in the shade and slightly insulated with a shirt or something similar. As the ice slowly melts throughout the day, you'll have a good supply of icy cold water to hydrate as needed. Remember, sweating causes rapid fluid loss and during extreme temperatures this can severely limit your body's ability to cool itself.
 
2.) Avoid over-exertion. Make sure you take breaks as necessary, as the heat can be deadly under certain circumstances. If you're an employer, be sure to provide access to some sort of shade on the worksite and expect that your workers will need to break more often during extremely hot days. It's better to cool off intermittently than to try and tough it out, which will usually affect work performance as well. Make sure you pace yourself accordingly for working in severe heat because heat exhaustion and heat stroke can set in before you know it and by that time, it's already too late.
 
3.) Dress accordingly! There's an abundance of high visibility cooling gear and cooling products available to purchase that can drastically reduce your body temperature, reduce sun-exposure and keep you cooler and more comfortable throughout the work day. Look into these products and make the small investment to ensure you're health and comfort this summer. After all, we go to work so we can afford to enjoy life; not to end up injured or dead due to heat-related injuries.
 
Don't forget that the heat not only has the ability to negatively effect your body via heat stress, heat exhaustion or heat stroke, but it can also negatively affect your brain function which can lead to injuries that could otherwise be avoided. Getting lightheaded for a few seconds due to the heat might be all it takes for you to lose focus and end up in the path of danger from heavy equipment or hazardous machinery. Please, use your head, pay attention to your body and proceed accordingly during the hottest days of the summer months. You owe it to yourself! And as always, be sure to keep a friendly eye on your co-workers. If someone looks like they might be getting to hot or isn't looking well, tell them to take 10, rehydrate and get out of the sun. This is especially true for those co-workers who might be a bit stubborn and always reply with "No, no, I'm fine!" Teamwork is a large part to ensuring workplace safety! Do your part and you'll be productive, healthy and safe all summer long. 

Summer is one of the best times of year, yet at the same time it does get unbearably hot during the day. If you're working outdoors or in a hot indoor environment, there is nothing more uncomfortable than not being able to focus on your work. Not only is the extreme heat uncomfortable and sometimes counter-productive; it can actually be dangerous. Excessive sweat can cause you to transfer moisture to otherwise dry surfaces and materials, which as you can imagine could become a problem. Slippery power tools or machinery can cause a loss of control or a mistake that could be very costly to your safety. To ensure your comfort and overall well being, it's important to consider these factors before it's too late.
 
Many of us are required to wear certain safety gear that's not very forgiving during the hot weather and this can make things even worse. There is, however, some measures that can be taken to aid in your comfort and safety. Many of the most popular manufacturers of high visibility workwear have developed (and are continuing to develop) safety gear that is designed to provide relief for hot work environments. Often labeled "cooling gear", these products range from cooling bandanas and safety vests to water-soluble hard hat shades and visors. Safety vests made from specialty materials that retain water can even provide slow-release cooling that lasts up to 12 hours, offering cooling comfort throughout the day while wicking away moisture caused by excessive sweating.
 
While our main concern may be our personal comfort, we also mustn't forget about the dangers of heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which are very real and very dangerous conditions that are often overlooked and underestimated. These conditions can lead to serious health effects, including death.
 
A combination of utilizing the proper gear, staying hydrated and taking intermittent breaks as needed to avoid over-exertion is the key for making it through the summer while at work. Stay tuned for more information regarding summer safety tips on our blog and visit our website to browse and buy the newest cooling gear out on the market.