Hot countries or companies that require contact with high temperatures need to be more cautious regarding their employees’ conditions. That’s because excessive heat brings immediate or long-term risks, some of which can be fatal. To avoid health risks for employees and legal problems for companies, safety standards must be strictly followed.
Project management is a way of planning how to keep workers safe, especially when there are risks associated with high temperatures. During the management process, safety professionals must assess possible risks and how to avoid them, ensuring that workers have appropriate protective materials for each situation they may face.
In this article, we will discuss the main means of security for protecting those who work in high temperatures. Additionally, we will also talk about the main risks and consequences if workers are not protected against extreme heat.
Workers handling furnaces
Furnaces are present in the daily lives of many workers. Those who have contact with fire at high temperatures need to take a series of precautions to avoid burns and more serious accidents. But before that, it is necessary to understand the worker’s function in this environment. For example, a glass modeler deals directly with high temperatures, so their protective equipment must be different from the rest of the team that does not work with fire.
Following the example of the glass modeler, these professionals must have safety equipment such as gloves that can withstand high temperatures, as well as very resistant vests or aprons. During glass molding, residues at high temperatures can spread and cause serious injuries, so protective clothing is required.
This type of protection can be followed by any professional who handles materials at high temperatures. The risk becomes greater when dealing with flammable materials such as wood, which is a fuel for fire, or glass, which can cause cuts and other injuries, both superficial and deep.
Other workers who handle ovens are those who cook in a more traditional way, such as pizza makers and bakers. As mentioned earlier, wood is a flammable material and is commonly used by these professionals to keep the furnace lit.
Gloves are still the main material for direct contact with fire or heat, but other protective mechanisms can be used, such as a screen made of material resistant to high temperatures. This screen, which should be used around the furnace, prevents accidents such as falls near the fire. Falls are the main accidents that occur and can cause burns or more serious injuries.
Hot countries
Another form of contact with high temperatures is due to the climate, as seen in countries like Qatar, which became known for hosting the FIFA World Cup but also for its high temperatures that caused game postponements. If players had difficulties maintaining their performance in that hot climate, the same can be applied to workers responsible for constructing the football stadiums.
Countries with hotter climates than the rest of the world must take precautions to preserve the health and safety of workers. One of these precautions is to maintain a high turnover of employees, dividing the work shifts among more people so that individuals are not exposed to the weather for 8 hours or more.
If employee turnover is not feasible due to a small workforce, other precautions should be taken, such as providing light uniforms that protect from the sun, sunscreen, glasses, or any other protective accessories. Offering free water is also an effective way to keep workers hydrated, as dehydration is one of the main risk factors faced by those who work in hot weather.
