For the jobs that require workers to stay outdoors, there can be all sorts of issues related to the health of workers. This can be the compromise in their safety, health, and comfort as they work in extreme weather conditions outside.
In 2005, California introduced a heat illness prevention standard in order to protect the workers who worked outside in extreme heat (95-degrees F). The standard required that employees are provided with cool water, cool-down breaks, a place where there is shade, and training to recognize the symptoms of a heat stroke.
In addition to heat, extreme cold temperatures also pose a threat to workers who work outside. In particular, workers can get hypothermia, trench-foot, and frostbite if they aren’t careful while working in extreme cold.
To ensure the health and safety of your workers in extreme weather conditions, AAC Heating and Cooling has gathered a checklist for you.
Checklist For Hot Environment
Here are a few tips for you to help your employees stay safe in hot environment. These tips may help reduce the chances of heat-related injuries and illnesses. By following this, you can protect the greatest assets of your business—your workforce.
Illness/Injury Prevention Plan
The first step is to create an illness/injury prevention plan (IIPP). This allows you to identify potential hazards and create a plan to mitigate the risks. Your management must be committed to make improvements along the way and train employees of appropriate procedures.
Cooler Workspace
Work towards a cooler workspace. If there is a space where your employees come to rest, ensure that the HVAC system works well, and is clean and efficient.
If you have a workshop, encourage employees to keep doors and windows open to have proper ventilation.
In case your employees work outside, offer portable fans, canopies, water coolers, and other resources to create a comfortable environment.
Water Coolers
It is your job to offer hydration stations for your employees working in hot weather conditions. Place water coolers in break rooms, as well as other areas where it is easy to access water, so that your employees get encouraged to stay hydrated.
In case your workers work outside, provide large containers of cool water to help employees stay hydrated throughout their shift.
Regular Breaks
Offer regular breaks to employees. Working in hot weather conditions can tire your employees easily. You can help your employees recharge and stay healthy by encouraging regular breaks in cool or shady environments. As a manager, you can create break times into employees’ work schedule to inculcate the practice of taking breaks.
A Plan Of Action
It is also your job to create a quick response plan. Train employees to identify the signs of heat-related health conditions and injuries, as well as the immediate steps to manage it.
In the wake of an emergency, you must have a plan regarding who will be responsible to call emergency services, and the immediate steps to manage the health condition of the employee.
Checklist For Working In Cold Environments
Just like heat, extreme cold conditions can also pose a threat to a worker’s health and safety. Here is a checklist to ensure your employees remain safe as they work in cold conditions.
Appropriate Clothing
Encourage your employees to wear appropriate clothing to ensure their body temperature remains normal. Make sure employees wear several layers of loose-fitting clothes. Tight clothing can reduce blood flow throughout the body, and warm blood is required to be circulated to the extremities.
Moreover, as you’re deciding on clothing, be aware that various clothing articles may restrict movement. This is in itself a safety hazard should a mishap takes place. You may get in touch with a designer experienced in designing cold-weather clothes for working persons to decide on clothing articles for your employees.
Extra Protection Of Ears, Hands, Feet, And Face
In extreme cold weather conditions, it is crucial that workers cover their ears, hands, feet, and face. Encourage workers to wear a hat if they’re working outside. Moreover, if it is snowing, encourage them to wear waterproof and insulated boots. The ultimate goal of this is to ensure that little to no skin is exposed as workers work outside in extreme cold conditions.
Regular Breaks
Just like in hot working conditions, workers require regular breaks in cold working conditions as well.
Create a space to rest for your employees and ensure that it is warm and dry. This will help the employees’ bodies to warm up.
Furthermore, encourage your employees to take rest often and not exhaust themselves because fatigue and exhaustion eliminate energy, and energy is required to keep the body warm.
Warm Drinks And Food
In extreme cold conditions, your employees require warm beverages and high-calorie foods to keep their bodies warm.
In addition to lunch or dinner, provide high-calorie snacks, such as nuts and hot coffee to help keep employees warm and active.
Encourage Work In Pairs
Ask your employees to work in pairs—buddy system—so that if one employee shows signs of hypothermia or frostbite, the other can help call emergency service and give them immediate help and first aid.
Immediate Plan Of Action
It is the management’s job to create a plan of action to help employees should they show signs of hypothermia, frostbite, or trench-foot.
Assign duties to the supervisors or other employees to call in emergency services if someone needs help. You must also provide first aid to the employee who shows signs of hypothermia.
A Final Word
Your employees are your company’s assets. If yours is a job that requires your employees to work in extreme weather conditions, this checklist offers the steps you must follow to ensure the health and safety of your workers.
AAC Heating and Cooling offer HVAC maintenance services NJ. Keep your HVAC systems efficient and clean to offer good working environments to your employees.