A construction firm’s health and safety manager has spoken on the great lengths the company takes to ensure its staff are safe during the heatwave – including World Cup-style hydration breaks.
With temperatures soaring across East Anglia, people working outdoors are having to take extra precautions to make sure they don’t succumb to the heat.
Mark Chenery, Health and Safety Manager at Howard Construction says although there is no legal guidance or a temperature limit to working outside, companies have a duty of care to their employees.
He said the company takes the issue very seriously, issuing advice to all staff, restructuring work schedules and supplying extra equipment to make sure they are safe.
“In the event of an approaching heatwave, a memo is sent out advising colleagues on how to stay safe, as well as toolbox safety briefings at each site,” he said.
“These briefings will be things like advice on sun burn and skin cancer but also about heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration.
“We advise our colleagues to drink regularly, not just when they are thirsty, and provide them with chilled water dispensers.
“With extreme temperatures like this we encourage them to take regular breaks to get a drink – much like the hydration breaks at the World Cup.
“We also tell our supervisors to keep their eyes open and make sure everyone is doing ok, as things like heat exhaustion can creep up on you.”
The company closely monitors the temperature and conditions on their sites throughout the day
If the temperatures or conditions get worse, the company can make the decision to down tools and shut the sites early, ensuring its employees do not have unnecessary prolonged periods in extreme heat which can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Alongside this, the company ensures all workers have access to sunscreen.
“The Health and Safety Executive says you need a minimum of 30 SPF, but we go further and make sure everyone has access to 50 SPF sunscreen.
“We also make sure our colleagues are protecting the areas of their bodies people tend to forget.
“In the construction industry the three most common places for skin cancer are the nose, the tips of the ears and the lips as people often forget to apply cream here.
“Our toolbox briefing reminds people to protect these areas, as well as looking out for their colleagues on site.”
Mark said some work could become a risk in the extreme heat, so would be rescheduled until a later date.
“If you have people excavating around live electrical services wearing fire proof suits and face shields, it would get too hot.
“If the work is not essential for that day, and can be put back to a later date while other work is carried out, that will happen.
“One of the symptoms of heat exhaustion is disorientation and confusion, so it can be a real health and safety concern in terms of accidents.
“One thing we say to our colleagues and to our supervisors is to look out for each other, keep an eye out if anyone is finding it difficult and help each other.”
For advice and information from the HSE about working in hot temperatures, see here.
