As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure your employees are safe out in the field. The recent heat wave the entire nation has been feeling is sure to put extra stress on your guys, so here are some useful tips (if not common sense), on field service safety during these dog days of summer.
Stay hydrated – This one should be pretty obvious, but sometimes we just forget to keep drinking water. Supply each truck with a cooler filled with water and sports drinks like Gatorade (sports drinks help to replace salts and minerals lost in sweat). Remind the guys to keep drinking even if they don’t feel thirsty. It’s better to shell out extra cash for drinks and a cooler than to lose a worker due to heat exhaustion or dehydration.- Take periodic breaks – Let your guys know it’s okay for them to find some shade and take a 15 minute break. Sometimes employees won’t take breaks because they don’t want to get in trouble for not working. Hold a meeting each morning before your crews go out reminding them that their safety is most important. Breaks in the shade allow them to find some relief and grab a drink.
- Provide sunscreen – Stock up your vehicles with sunscreen. An SPF of 15 or higher are the most effective.
- Plan accordingly – Try to schedule most jobs during the cooler parts of the day. Keep the jobs spread out enough so your guys have breaks in between each one. If it’s an exceptionally hot day, cut the work day short.
- What to wear? – Light, loose clothing is best. On job sites this can be hard, so be sure to really push the other suggestions we offered. Also, when your feet are wet (like when you sweat) is when you can develop blisters. Suggest to your employees that they don’t wear socks that are 100% cotton.
Keeping your employees safe should be one of the top priorities this summer. If they get severely burned, dehydrated, or suffer from heat exhaustion, they could be out for days. We doubt anyone can afford that. Keep them cool, hydrated, and rested and you should have a successful summer!