Page 59 - OHS, June 2021

provide workers with convenient and comfortable solutions that not only keep workers shaded and hydrated, but employ advanced cooling technologies to keep them safe outdoors and in.
Evaporative Cooling Technologies.
Best for outdoor work in hot and dry en- vironments with low/moderate humidity (construction, maintenance, landscap- ing, etc.).
Evaporative cooling products are a simple and relatively inexpensive way to keep internal temperatures down. Evaporative solutions activate with water, working similarly to how sweat cools the body down by drawing heat away. More advanced and comfortable than a damp towel, controlled evaporative gear keeps workers cool for up to four hours.
Phase Change Cooling Technologies.
Best for indoor work in hot environments (foundries, pulp/paper, iron/steel, fabrica- tion, etc.).
Phase change cooling technology does not require airflow, making it an optimal solution for reducing the risk of indoor heat stress. Commonly used in vests, this technology pulls heat from the body via cooling charge packs filled with non- toxic phase change liquids. Depending on what you have available (cooler, fridge or freezer), activation takes between 10 to 25 minutes and last up to four hours. Unlike ice or gel packs, phase change packs are not stiff or frosty—making them a more comfortable solution for long term wear, especially underneath bulky PPE.
Absorptive Cooling Technologies.
Best for indoor or outdoor work in hot environments (construction, maintenance, manufacturing, etc.).
You can’t stop sweat, but you can prevent it from hazardously running into your eyes and down your hands. Absorptive products like cooling towels, headbands and multi-bands stop sweat to keep workers cool and dry.
Hydration. Best for indoor and outdoor work (construction, maintenance, manufacturing, etc.).
Dehydration puts workers on a fast track to any one of the many heat-related illnesses. OSHA mandates access to fresh water on every jobsite, but that access should be as close to immediate as possible in hot environments.
Shades & Shelters. Best for outdoor work in hot, sunny environments (construction,
maintenance, landscaping, etc.).
ThThis is where rest and shade comes in.
When natural shade isn’t readily available, pop-up shelters and umbrellas provide instant relief from the baking sun. When it’s not possible to shade the designated working area, and it often isn’t, outfit workers should use sun protection hats, UV rated clothing and sunglasses for more complete all-day coverage.
Sunscreen. Best for outdoor work in sunny environments (construction, maintenance, landscaping, etc.) or indoor
work where welding equipment is used. No burning here. Regular application of sunscreen on the jobsite is perhaps the easiest and most cost-effffective way to stop skin cancer in its tracks. ThThought sunscreen was just for the great outdoors? Think again. Though inside, welders are regularly exposed to dangerous levels of UV rays and should take the same skin
protection precautions.
Alsie Nelson is the Product Director for Ergodyne.
The LION BullsEyeTM Digital Fire Extinguisher Training System allows you to conduct extinguisher training anywhere. Pair it with the LION R.A.C.E. StationTM to help reinforce the Rescue, Alert, Confine, Extinguisher method and better prepare your trainees to respond to an actual fire emergency.
WWW.LIONPROTECTS.COM/FIRE-SAFETY-TRAINING-TOOLS
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JUNE 2021 | Occupational Health & Safety 55
Circle 12 on card.