During the dog days of summer, the jobsite can really heat up. Working in the heat can be difficult, especially when you’re sweating so much that your eyes sting and tools slip out of your hands.
In an earlier article, we talked about ways you can keep your crew safe in the heat and the symptoms of heat-related illnesses you should watch out for. But we haven’t talked about the surprising hazard that is the humble fan.
According to the CDC, you can use fans to cool off, but only if the air temperature is less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is above 90 degrees, a blowing fan can actually increase your body temperature. Here’s why.
Fans help your body cool off by making your sweat evaporate more quickly, which moves heat away from your skin. When the air temperature is below 89 degrees Fahrenheit, a fan can help your body’s natural cooling system be more efficient. But when the air is too hot, fans stop being helpful and can become harmful.
When the temperature soars above 90, a fan can turn your workspace into a convection oven, circulating hot air around your body. When this happens and the air temperature is higher than your skin temperature, the heat from the hotter air starts to flow into your body, heating it up, rather than helping it cool down.
Worse yet, the moving hot air can mask how uncomfortable you actually feel, so you may not notice that you’re overheating.
You may not have air conditioning in a new build, and for most of the year, that might be fine, even if it’s a little uncomfortable. But during a heat wave, working in any hot environment can be deadly.
Consider this: you wouldn’t expect your crew to work outside in a roaring blizzard. You have to take extreme heat just as seriously.
Looking for more info? Our Weekly Safety Meetings and Manufacturing Safety Meetings are designed to give workers the information they need to work safely. This Blog is a free service that gives additional health and safety information to supervisors so they can better promote safety on the jobsite and in the shop. Click for access to construction jobsite and manufacturing shop toolbox talks.