Safety Column
While the sun may feel great after a long, cold winter, it provides the body with vitamin D and much-needed pigment to the skin; the sun can also be highly impactful on the body as it attempts to acclimate to the heat.Vitamin D and color can still be added in the shade, and from an acclimation standpoint, shade is critical to the body’s recovery and well-being. Work surfaces also have a profound impact on the body. Dark colors absorb heat, and light colors
Combining shade, rest, and hydration as part of your heat acclimation process and throughout the summer provides you with the best opportunity to avoid heat-related illness, injury, or death. Remember, if you are not feeling well or start to cramp, immediately remove yourself from the heat, call for help, hydrate, and work to lower your core temperature using a cool wet towel or rag. Do not attempt to self-treat without notifying others of your condition, especially if working remotely or independently. Heat-related injuries are no joke. reflect light and heat, meaning working on or near either can actually reduce your work periods and increase your need for shade. Use of a pop-up tent when working outdoors to block the sun's reflective or absorbing properties can go a long way toward increasing work periods, but regardless, you need to step out of the sun at regular intervals to avoid excessive exposure.
Finally, have tools at your disposal to better understand the conditions and how to avoid heat-related exposure. Download the OSHA-NIOSH “Heat Safety Tool” from your App Store for free to your smartphone for hydration, shade, and rest recommendations based on real-time temperature data in your area. The App also contains treatment and heat-related illness symptom data to support your safety needs.
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