Labor Safety During the Summer
It’s South Florida, it’s July, and it’s a heck of a summer!
Labor safety is always our top priority at LFH. Safety training is an essential resource we practice throughout our entire company. Everyone from corporate and middle management to our laborers and field teams demonstrate safety practices and are committed to ongoing safety education.
One of the best examples of this is our OSHA training expectations. Each and every one of our workers has taken OSHA classes and trained and certified to be able to prevent any accidents that may occur on the job. Furthermore, and perhaps even more important due to the dangers of the construction industry, our team has the knowledge to handle various unexpected occurrences while in the field.
However, it’s often the minor accidents that seem to go unnoticed, the ones we often think we have control over or think is not as important. Sun and heat exposure is a common example of what we’re talking about here. Working out in the hot sun in the summer is already a hard setting to handle, add working in the middle of July in South Florida and you could have a potentially dangerous environment.
Unknowing heat exhaustion leads to many health risks, but fatigue and confusion is two of the most dangerous while working on a worksite. These feelings could lead to putting yourself or other workers in harms way. To help avoid any of these accidents, we’ve gathered some tips to help you stay cool, hydrated and safe while working on the job.
Ways to Prevent Heat Exhaustion:
- Stay Hydrated— Carry around bottled water. Make sure to drink water throughout the day, even if you don’t think you’re thirsty or need it. Sometimes we don’t know we are dehydrated until it’s too late.
- Wear Loose Fitting Clothes— If you find you’re feeling the effects of the heat, loose clothes will help you cool down faster.
- Get out of the Sun— Sounds obvious, but get into some shade or go find a place with air conditioning.
- Have a Spray Bottle— We’ve found that a lot of our laborers have a spray bottle on hand to cool them off. Obviously extra water bottles would do the trick as well, but a light mist of water throughout the day has proven to help our guys when they’re getting too hot.
- Drink Electrolytes— Pack a cooler of Gatorade or other sports drinks. The electrolytes help add nutrients when you’re body feels depleted.
- Avoid Caffeine— Caffeine speeds dehydration and can add to you exhaustion.
- Take a Break— If you feel queasy or fatigued, don’t be afraid to sit and rest!
Labor safety is the most important aspect of your job in construction. Staying hydrated and on full alert will allow you to perform at your best. Even if you’re on a time crunch or anxious to finish, it won’t be worth it if something happens to you or another worker. We value each of our fantastic laborers and want to always be sure you have the best possible working environments to succeed, please make sure to do your part and have a plan to stay safe out there in the summer!
