Page 62 - OHS, July/August 2024

SUMMER HAZARDS
■ Make sure your heat safety training includes information on medications or health conditions that might make workers more vulnerable. While you may not be able to ask people what medica- tions they’re taking, many people don’t realize that even medica- tions for conditions as common as allergies or high blood pressure can make them more vulnerable to heat illness, so it’s important to get this on their radar.
■ Hang heat safety reminder posters in your facility, or in trailers for remote work. Put a urine-color hydration scale in every washroom so everyone knows healthy output from unhealthy.
■ Provide body cooling PPE. While this has been an option for some time, recent years have seen significant improvements in cooling longevity, comfort and garment options. Tried-and-true body cooling PPE like cooling vests with ice packs are an excel- lent option, but they require changing out ice packs as often as every half hour to maximize their effectiveness. So it makes sense to supplement them with additional cooling garments.
More portable options in HydroActive technology activate in less than 60 seconds with any temperature of water and cool down to as low as 30 degrees below average body temperature. The beauty of these garments is their versatility and effectiveness. They stay cool for as long as two hours and can be activated again and again throughout the day with any source of water. They also come in everything from hats to t-shirts, skull caps for under hard hats,
neck gaiters and towels, and even garments that are ASTM F1506, NFPA 70E-compliant for jobs that involve sparks or flames. This allows workers to use them as whole-body cooling drapes during breaks, or to apply them to the head, neck, or any other body part while on the job. (Editors’ note: Some Magid products incorporate HydroActive technology within their design.)
Overspending
The Problem:
The joke about writing checks your body can’t cash is an apt metaphor for what happens on hot jobsites all over the world. People trying to get the job done work hard enough to raise their body temperature to dangerous levels while using up vital body hydration that they don’t replace often or adequately enough to stay safe. And while hydration is crucial, don’t fall for the common misconception that hydrated bodies can’t suffer heat illness. Even a well-hydrated person can suffer heat illness up to and including heat stroke and even death if their body temperature rises high enough from outside conditions or overwork. To help solve the overspending problem, be sure to give workers ample time and re- sources to make deposits and not just withdrawals.
Solutions:
■ Increase breaks as heat rises, provide shade whenever possible on the job, make cool water and electrolyte-replacing beverages avail-
π
SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS
SAFETY PRODUCTS ALWAYS IN STOCK IN 13 LOCATIONS
ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING
COMPLETE CATALOG
1-800-295-5510 uline.com
60 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2024
www.ohsonline.com