Written by: Alexander Borsos
ABL Employment
Whether your employees are working in cold storage facilities, outdoors during the heat of summer, or anything in-between, you can help them acclimate to your workplace environment by making sure you set them up for success in your onboarding and training process.
A large contributing factor to having safe and productive employees who work in hot or cold environments is in the clothing that they wear while working. You can avoid many issues by ensuring that the employee is instructed on the appropriate uniform or attire during the job offer, so as to avoid misunderstandings. Help them understand why specific clothing recommendations will help keep them protected in the work environment.
Hot days during the summer can be very tricky, especially if you and your employees are working with personal protective equipment. But the key to everyone’s success is making sure you are always hydrated. It is recommended that you encourage employees to bring a water bottle to work and use it as much as they need to.
Where physical labour is part of the job, employees who work in hot environments will require more frequent water-breaks, and many companies find it beneficial to bring in large cooling fans into the work-areaS during particularly hot days. These techniques help to prevent heat-exhaustion, including nausea, dizziness and concentration issues. You can download FREE RESOURCES BELOW, such as a poster for your employee safety noticeboard regarding heat-stress prevention tips, or a guidebook on managing working conditions in heat-stress situations by clicking the buttons below:
When it comes to working in fridges and freezers, everyone needs to make sure they have gloves, hats, and enough clothing layers to make sure they can take something off when they get too hot, and put something back on when it gets cooler. This is especially relevant to employees who come in and out of refrigeration/freezer sections of cold storage warehouses.
The bottom line is this: we all need to make sure our teams are safe and productive. Employees and Management need to work together to bring attention to any unsafe working conditions, and to take immediate action to resolve those issues. Build trust and inspire collaboration and innovation by encouraging employees to speak up and offer suggestions for creating a safer and more productive environment in workplaces that experience above- or below-average temperatures.
Are you looking for some more tips about keeping your workplace safe? Check out some of our other articles for tons more information and strategies.
