The Clothes Make the Man (or Woman): How PPE Reduces Heat Stress

Springtime, our favorite time of year here at HiVis Supply. The birds are chirping, the days are longer and the sun is shining. Who wouldn’t love all that spring and summer have in store?

Well, if you work outdoors or in any other hot and humid environment you may not be singing the same tune. Construction workers, firefighters, automotive workers, factory employees, farmers or welders are just a few examples of occupations that bear the brunt of the sun and heat — day in and day out. During warm weather months, outdoor workers are at increased risk of heat stress.

What is Heat Stress?

When employees are faced with hot environments, indoor and out, the chances of them experiencing heat stress skyrockets. Excessive and prolonged exposure to hot temperatures and limited airflow are the main culprits that can impact worker safety. Heat stress can include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke which can lead to death. That’s why you want to offer your workers hot weather gear that can help keep them cool and safe.

OSHA may not have a hard and fast rule on occupational heat exposure, but they do have a handy Quick Card on ways to Protect Workers from Heat Stress.

Check out HiVis Hank’s PPE solutions to help reduce your chances of heat stress:

Cooling Towels: Cooling towels offer fast relief for unbearable summer heat and can be reused over and over again. Just soak in cool water for instant chill — no matter where the day takes you.

Moisture-Wicking Shirts: Working outside and need high visibility protection, but don’t want to be weighed down with hot, heavy garments? Moisture-wicking high visibility t-shirts can keep you cool, comfortable and visible when it counts.

Cooling Vests: Tried everything, but still can’t stay cool on the job? Try a personal cooling vest on for size. Perfect for use under heavy protective clothing, each pack offers 3 days of chill factor.

Evaporative Cooling Gear: Head cooling gear is ideal for protecting the face and neck against excess sun exposure and can offer effective cooling on the spot. Some can even provide high-visibility protection.

Neck Shades and Hats: Keep the sun off of your neck and stay safe and compliant with cooling neck shades that can attach easily to your hard hat or hats you can run under cool water.

Hydration Packs: When faced with unbearable temperatures and tough working conditions, you need a little extra help staying hydrated. That’s when you can turn to low-profile hydration packs for cool, clean drinking water when and where you need it.

HiVis Hank is not afraid of sharing his opinion on all things safety. In fact, he’s always telling safety managers they should be monitoring temperatures and humidity, as well as their employees’ workload in the summer. He tells them to get ahead of the risk and offer PPE solutions to address the dangers, even if OSHA doesn’t come right out and say it’s mandatory. Workers who battle the blaze need clothing, personal protective apparel (PPE) and accessories that reduce their risk for heat stress of any kind. Period.

Keep on the lookout for more helpful blogs on how you can beat the heat this summer. If you need some help, just click here to contact one of the knowledgeable professionals at HiVis Supply. Maybe ol’ Hank will jump on the line.