Another Hot Summer Is on Its Way: Are You Protecting Your Construction Crew?
There’s no question about it: We seem to be on our way to a hot summer. There are many factors you must consider to keep your construction crew safe on any day, but on days where it is especially hot you have unique safety concerns to worry about. At Grove Hardware we are here to offer some tips to help keep your crew safe. Make sure to stop by to learn more about the various job site supplies and safety gear we offer.
Don’t think it’s important? Consider this story
It was nearly five years ago but some of us in the industry remember it like it was yesterday. An experienced worker was mixing gypsum concrete for a gypcrete installation at a local apartment building. This isn’t a particularly difficult job, but he was in direct sunlight and he did not drink enough water. He was, however, drinking plenty of caffeinated drinks. By the time anyone realized that he was in distress, the worker had full on heat stroke. He died within 24 hours.
The worse news is that this worker was not along. The U.S. Department of Labor and OSHA have more than 100 heat fatalities on the books in just a five year period – and that doesn’t include people who died outside of OSHA jurisdiction. In just 2014, more than 2,600 workers had heat illness and 18 of them died. As you can see, this is something to take very seriously.
OSHA has a few things to day about heat and humidity
There are no specific guidelines from OSHA regarding heat and humidity. However, these issues are considered to be covered under the general duty clause. This clause requires employers to ensure their employees have a place of work that is free of hazards that could potentially cause death or serious injury. OSHA doesn’t have requirements about the number of breaks in the heat, but they do recommend that there is plenty of cool water on the job site.
They also say that employers should encourage workers to drink water every 15 minutes and that there should be air conditioned areas for cooling down and resting. They also created what they call a Heat Safety Tool, which is an app that can be downloaded in English and in Spanish. It calculates the heat index on your jobsite and the resulting risk level for anyone working outside.
We can help you with all your construction supplies and much more
The area has come to trust us for our excellent selection and expert advice on construction supplies. We can help you if you know exactly what you need and we can help if you need assistance discovering what it is you need. No matter what your situation is, you can trust a family owned and operated construction supply company that values customer service.
