With heat’s well-documented effect on worker’s performance, it’s only natural that managers are constantly searching for technologies that offer benefits to both convenience and results. For as long as industrial workers have been working in sweltering heat, protecting workers from major heat exposure has been a significant safety concern.
When the atmospheric temperature rises, the body will do its best to cool off by perspiring. When the body becomes dehydrated and unable to keep its temperature in check, heat stress can set in with potentially severe consequences. A person who’s suffering from heat stress may start to display irritability, disorientation, and weakness. If not recognised and treated promptly, the condition can develop to heat stroke.
Symptoms of heat stroke include convulsions, chills, and loss of consciousness. In severe cases, the consequences can be fatal. In Australia, heat is the number one killer, killing more people than floods, bushfires, storms, and cyclones combined. Older workers have increased risk. Combine the inherent heat in industrial settings with increasing temperatures due to climate change, and heat-related deaths could potentially rise in the future. This should be particularly telling to employers in the industrial sector, especially those who provide welding services, where temperatures that welders are exposed to can reach the extremes.
Given the dip in health and performance associated with prolonged heat exposure, managers need to have measures in place to keep their workers cool. More frequent breaks and liquid consumption are good solutions, but it’s worth noting that a rehydrating body can affect productivity negatively. The better solution would be to create an environment wherein the body will be better able to retain its fluids so that the employee can keep functioning at peak performance without affecting total productivity.
Container dome manufacturers such as by Container Domes Australia can provide with the custom shelter solutions you need to protect your employees from excessive heat exposure. These manufacturers are more than willing to create custom dome solutions for clients, even assess your site and specific needs to ensure they provide the best dome solutions possible.
If you notice productivity dropping in your industrial workplace, it may be time for you to make some changes. Contact a site shelter specialist like Container Domes Australia and create the proper workplace environment for your people.
Sources
Cooling the Industrial Workplace, PlantEngineering.com
Heat is Australia’s number one natural killer, ABC.net