Heat stress prevention

The most important thing when a person goes out to work in the morning is to return home to his family safely in the evening.

Portable cooling helps to avoid stress due to high temperatures and heat stroke.

It is essential for companies to be concerned about the health and well-being of their workers.

It is unacceptable that a worker, to perform their daily work, suffer a deterioration in their health.

This year we are experiencing what is probably one of the worst heat waves in history in Europe, and in Spain in particular.

The health and well-being of workers is a fundamental basic principle and a pillar in occupational risk prevention programs.

And what is being done to prevent heat stress among workers in industrial buildings?

Some sectors work in particularly hot environments.

We can name the work with furnaces, foundries and machinery that emit heat.

Some industries that use material transformation processes may also have critical work sectors with respect to high temperatures.

Likewise, there are activities where an important physical effort is made.

In addition, some jobs require the use of personal protective equipment that causes increased heat.

Excessive heat can be the source of health and safety risks for workers.

It is not only a safety issue, but also a health issue.

During particularly severe heat waves, it can lead to death.

Heat stress obviously impairs the ability to reason and concentrate.

This decrease can lead operators to make mistakes and cause accidents at work.

In addition to places such as steel mills, foundries, plastic industries, brick factories, ceramic factories, textile industry, cellulose industry, etc., in outdoor work, workers are also susceptible to heat stress.

Heat stress prevention should be fundamental in companies.

Basic measures to avoid heat stress

There are several measures that should be taken to avoid heat stress due to high temperatures.

Basically, workers should be informed and trained about the risks, effects and preventive measures.

It is important to ensure that all workers are acclimatized to the heat depending on the physical effort they will be making.

On the other hand, they must be allowed to adapt their work rhythms to their tolerance to heat.

There must also be cool and refrigerated resting places; and workers must be allowed to rest when they need to, and especially when they are not feeling well.

Workers should be hydrated, so fresh water should be available.

When there is a heat wave, try to change, as far as possible, the work processes to reduce heat and excessive physical exertion.

It is essential to lower the temperature at work stations.

To cool work areas, both indoors and outdoors, there are inexpensive, practical and instant solutions.

Portable cooling is one of these.