How To Stay Cool In FR Clothing
Beating the heat these days is getting more difficult with the rising temperatures we have been experiencing in the last few years. Employer’s have the responsibility of providing a safe work environment and that is also the case when it comes to working in extreme heat conditions.
Heat related sickness such as heat stroke are a very serious condition that can lead to a serious accident and even death.
When it comes to wearing flame resistant clothing in industries such as the oil and gas and the electrical industry the clothing itself can add to the heat exhaustion but is a necessary item due to the risk of flash fire and arc flash.
Depending on the level of protection required the PPE such as coveralls can be quite heavy will add increase the body heat especially when working in strenuous work conditions.
There are certain options of FR clothing that are designed to help out with extreme heat and add-ons such as cooling technology that can be help bring the body temperature down.
Your employees need to have the resources available to them in order to be protection from heat exhaustion and it is the responsibility of the business owner to provide adequate PPE.
When providing flame resistant clothing for your workers comfort is a big issue as employees might just tend to take it off due to the extreme heat leaving them open to injury or death in the case of a flash fire.
Therefore it is best to purchase flame resistant clothing in an 88% cotton 12% nylon blend as the cotton will allow for the garments to be breathable and the nylon adds strength and durability to the garments.
The cotton/nylon is available in a 6.0 oz. for shirts and a 7.0 oz. for coveralls and are very breathable.
Another option is the Westex® DH Antistat 6.5 oz. coveralls made by IFR Workwear that are very light, breathable and are an optimized moisture management fabric that helps keep the wearer cooler, drier and ultimately more comfortable.
To avoid heat-related illnesses, you and your employees should be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention following are some of the signs of heat stroke that you must be aware of.
- A body temperature of 103°F or higher
- Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Fainting or losing consciousness
In the case that someone is experiencing the symptoms of heat stroke again according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following are the steps to take.
Phone 911 right away as heat stroke is a medical emergency
Move the person to a cooler place
Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath.
Do not give the person anything to drink.
The symptoms to watch for in regards to heat exhaustion are:
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale, and clammy skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting or losing consciousness
In the case of heat exhaustion one should:
Move the person to a cool place,
Loosen their clothing
Put cool, wet cloths on their body or take a cool bath.
Give them some cool, but not ice-cold, water to sip
Medical help must be obtained if a person is:
Throwing up,
Their symptoms get worse
Their symptoms last longer than one hour
Working in the industries that are subject to the possibility of a flash fire or electric arc people should never remove their FR garments in an attempt to cool off while working.
Other means of bringing down the temperature are to have them rest, get into a cooler spot such as the shade or use cooling technology as shown below.
IFR Workwear puts out a few good items with their cooling technology as a neckband, hard hat liner and hard hat liner with Neck Shade.
FR Cooling Technology
FR Hard Hat Liner With Neck Shade
FR Hard Hat Liner
FR Neckband
Terry Smeader
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