After a long spring, summer is here, bringing with it hot temperatures, lots of sunshine, high levels of humidity and long days spent working in difficult conditions. 

As a manager and supervisor, it’s your responsibility to make sure your team stays safe when the mercury soars. Let’s take the confusion out of it and make it easy to keep your teams protected this summer. 

Watch for heatstroke or other conditions.

Whether your team is working indoors or outdoors, the high temperatures can cause a number of serious health conditions, from heat rash to heat stroke to hyperthermia. Our bodies can only do so much to regulate temperatures and if we’re not careful, we can get exhausted and overextended very quickly, maybe even ending up in the hospital. The hotter the temperature, the more important it is to provide breaks, fans, cold water and, if you’re outside, shady places for people to sit and get some relief. Watch for red bumps to develop in their exposed skin (heat rash), or they seem dizzy or unable to focus (heat exhaustion) or if they have hot, red skin, a fast, faint pulse or possibly pass out (heat stroke). 

Take breaks.

It doesn’t matter what part of the country your team is in or how they grew up: There’s nothing macho or tough about not taking breaks when the weather gets hot. Especially in the hottest part of the day, between 10 a.m and 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are at their most intense, be sure to take frequent breaks for shade and water. When you don’t drink enough water in the summer, it can make your team more tired, more lethargic, less able to concentrate and more likely to develop health conditions that could land them in the hospital. Dehydration is no joke! Make sure there’s access to shade and plenty of cold water. 

Be aware of sun exposure.

In addition to monitoring the heat, humidity and air quality conditions when your team is working outside, be aware of how long they’ve been working in the sun. In addition to the immediate threat of heat stroke and exhaustion, too much sun exposure can lead to dehydration, sun poisoning and severe sunburn. Keep some SPF 50 or better sunscreen lotion available at the work site and encourage your team to apply it liberally every two hours on any exposed skin. Skin cancer can be deadly if left untreated! It’s nothing to joke about. Remind your team about the dangers of sun exposure and encourage them to get their skin checked at least once a year by a dermatologist if they spend all summer outside. 

Dress appropriately.

Make sure your team has the right equipment and protective gear to keep themselves safe. That means loose-fitting shirts and pants to allow for air circulation and to help keep the sun off their skin; hats to protect their heads (hardhats for construction zones or other places in which heavy machinery is being used, wide-brimmed hats for others who work outside); sunglasses or glare-resistant goggles to protect their eyes; gloves to protect their hands from hot metals, etc. 

When possible, be flexible.

To help mitigate the amount of time your crew is working during the hottest part of the day, consider alternatives that could help keep them safer, like starting earlier in the morning to allow them to wrap up the day earlier as well. The more they can do before the sun hits its peak intensity, the better everyone will feel. Try to keep the most strenuous tasks for days when it’s cloudy and breezy or complete those first thing in the morning to avoid overexertion. 

Time is money and that doesn’t change when the temperatures approach triple digits, but it’s your responsibility to prioritize your team’s safety. It can be done! It just takes a little creativity and thinking ahead to make sure you have the tools and supplies needed to help them make it through the hot months ahead. 

For more advice on protecting your team’s safety, or if you want to hire temporary workers to help move your summer projects along more quickly, call FurstStaffing. We’re experts at helping our clients find great new job candidates, people who are qualified and ready to start on the job right away. We can help you find permanent or temporary employees, depending on how busy your summer looks. When you’re ready to learn more, give FurstStaffing a call and we’ll be ready to get to work!