6 Helpful Tips to Protect your Workers from Heat-Related Illness and High Temperatures

1. Train Employees to Recognize Heat-Related Injuries

Training your front-line employees to recognize heat-stroke or heat-related illness is crucial in your ability to protect your team. Your workers are surrounded by each other for the full workday and will be the first to notice indicator signs in your employees, such as:

• Dizziness or Faintness
• Sunburn or heat rash
• Lack of energy
• Confusion
• Nausea or vomiting

2. Offer Frequent Water and Rest Breaks

Schedule regular breaks in shady areas or in air-conditioned rooms with an abundant amount of water available. Encourage your team to take breaks often and drink water frequently, even if they are not thirsty. Dehydration is often overlooked, as common symptoms include not having to use the bathroom, lethargy and/or irritability.

3. Manage Air Flow with Open Doors and Windows

Opening doors and windows will assist in improving airflow in factories, whether air conditioned or not. Air movement decreases the internal temperature of factories, warehouses and improves the environment for workers. Implement options such as using fans mounted on the walls or floors of your warehouse or factory.

4. Employ Evaporative Coolers or Air-conditioning Units

Evaporative coolers can be an efficient means of cooling down an industrial facility depending on the climate. This tool allows draws in air and passes it through a cooling pad, thus reducing air temperatures by up to 20 degrees and releasing cooler temperatures into the warehouse or factory.

5. Schedule Strenuous Labor for Cooler Parts of the Day

It is recommended to schedule any extreme labor for early in the morning or late in the day to avoid overheating workers. Making adjustments to employees’ workloads allows managers to be conscious of heat impact and productivity levels.

6. Create an emergency plan

Create an emergency plan with Arbill by scheduling a consultation with our safety professionals to ensure that your company is prepared for the summer heat!

Have a Safe Day!