How to Avoid Dangerous Heat Stress

At Hunter, we understand fully what the rays of the sun are capable of doing. That’s why we put UV inhibitors in all of our plastic products to ensure their long life in the great outdoors. Well, we can’t put UV inhibitors in our customers, but we can warn everyone that the same destructive forces are at work on people as they are on products…and it’s up to you to take precautions to avoid heat stress.

What to watch for:

• high temperature
• high humidity
• ample radiant heat
• low air velocity

Steps to reduce the risk of heat stress:

• move to a cooler place
• reduce the work pace or load
• wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing
• indoors: general ventilation and spot cooling
• shield yourself from radiant heat sources
• use power tools to reduce manual labor
• use personal cooling devices
• wear protective clothing
• provide/consume plenty of drinking water (as much as a quart per worker per hour)
• alternate work and rest periods with longer rest periods in a cool area
• schedule heavy work during the cooler parts of the day
• acclimatization: short exposures followed by longer periods of work in a hot environment (new employees and workers returning from an absence of two weeks or more should have 5-day period of acclimatization)

With the summer months upon us, many contractors will be spending a substantial part of their working day in a hot environment. And facing these hot conditions can pose the risk of heat stress. Are you prepared?