Safety Tip: Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

It’s been a really hot summer and members of the SBCA Safety Committee are always looking for new and different ways to ensure their employees are safe at work, especially when the temperature climbs. Here are some of their best practices:

• Educate, educate, educate! Teach your crews about the various kinds of heat illness including heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Hang posters (lots of them!) in different areas of the production area with information about heat illness symptoms as well as tips for staying cool and hydrated.
• Ensure you have plenty of stations filled with ice and water staged throughout your facility.
• Use large fans to keep the air moving.
• Schedule shorter, more frequent breaks.
• Create shade stations.
• Supply popsicles or other cool treats.
• Stock vending machines with electrolyte replenishing drinks like Gatorade and Powerade.
• Discourage energy drinks; highly caffeinated beverages can be dangerous if consumed before or during hard work in hot conditions.
• Provide cooling towels (but only for dry heat locations). As one example, water stations at California TrusFrame are also safety kiosks. Painted bright yellow, these gathering places provide relief from the heat as well as on-going reminders about safety in the plant!