During summer months, working outside in the sun isn’t just physically exhausting — it can also be extremely dangerous. With rising temperatures around the globe, businesses have a responsibility to keep employees safe from heat stress to prevent death or illness. If your company has workers spending extended periods of time in the sun, read on for tips on how to keep employees safe and educate them of risks and symptoms to look out for.
How to Keep Workers Safe in Direct Sunlight
Thousands of workers fall ill due to occupational heat exposure every year in the U.S., and sadly, hundreds lose their lives. Heat-related accidents are always avoidable with proper safety protocols and information in place. PPE gear and precautionary measures go a long way in keeping employees safe from scalding temperatures and uncomfortable work setups — read on to find out how to keep your job site heat safe.
1. Encourage Frequent Breaks
As an employer, you have a responsibility to encourage breaks from the hot sun and build these into the workday schedule. Breaks areas need to be well-shaded and outfitted with fans and free water.
Highly demanding physical labor should be scheduled for cooler parts of the day, such as the morning, and workdays should be cancelled when outside temperatures reach the danger zone. This will keep workers from overextending themselves and falling ill.
2. Provide Sunscreen
There’s more risk to direct sunlight than just heat stress. Skin cancer is also a symptom of spending too much time in direct sunlight. More than 80% of outdoor workers don’t apply sunscreen before their shifts, and 70% aren’t provided sunscreen from their employers.
Providing free sunscreen for workers, and even building it into their start-of-shift routine, will help prevent sun-related skin ailments. Educating workers on why sun protection is needed will help make these initiatives successful at your workplace.
3. Keep Employees Hydrated
The key to staying hydrated is drinking plenty of fluids. Employees doing strenuous activity should drink six to 10 fluid ounces every 10 to 15 minutes to prevent dehydration.
Providing a free hydration station with reusable water bottles will help encourage employees to cool their body temperature throughout the workday.
Our world is getting warmer, and it’s creating more danger for people who work outside in the heat. During summer months, heat stress education is especially important. Taking actionable steps to protect employees will ensure that everyone stays safe on the job.
This article on Working Safely in the Sun originally appeared on Zoro.