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4 Common Summer Hazards Problems and Solutions
Solutions:
• Increase breaks as heat rises, provide shade whenever possible on the job, make cool water and electrolyte-replacing beverages available nearby throughout the workday.
• Create adequate body cooling stations for breaks and mealtimes to give workers a place to escape the heat and lower their body temperature. In indoor facilities, you might create a station in air-conditioned lunchrooms or break areas. In remote locations, air-conditioned trailers or shaded areas with places to sit or even lie down can work. In either case, a body cooling station should include plenty of cool beverages, cooling towels, fans, and coolers full of ice and cold towels for body draping. Many safety managers also include tasty items like pickles that serve the dual purpose of providing electrolytes and a refreshing cool snack. Workers in more remote locations can also benefit from having an “ice cream man,” a worker who drives around to work teams providing frozen electrolyte popsicles throughout the day.
Inadequate Emergency Preparedness
The Problem:
Many people don’t understand the mechanics of heat illness and may think they know what to do in an emergency, but taking the wrong steps or waiting too long to act can cause serious damage.
Solutions:
As always, training and education are key, but in this case, drills and reminders become even more important.
Proper preparation may include posted reminders throughout your jobsite, formal training with quizzes and even hands-on emergency drills that include what symptoms a worker might exhibit from a heat stroke. Be sure the drill includes assigning someone to pretend to call EMS, and the full team working together to implement emergency procedures, whether those take place in a facility with a full-body immersion tub, or in the field with a makeshift tarp using the tarp assisted cooling oscillation (TACO) method. Be certain that everyone understands the importance of cooling the victim immediately before transporting them to the hospital and that they can give the victim the greatest chance to survive without major complications by cooling them down within 30 minutes.
With so many contradictory laws and regulations in different states and counties, it’s more important than ever for safety managers and company executives to stay educated on the latest and most accurate information to guide their own policies. Making the commitment to a thorough and comprehensive heat safety program can help to ensure that the company keeps these 100 percent preventable accidents at zero.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
M.B. Sutherland is the Sr. Safety Writer at Magid, a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of head-to-toe PPE. For more information, visit www.magidglove.com or call 800-867-1083.