It’s summertime, and the living is easy! The living is also about staying cool during the hottest season. That feat can be difficult to accomplish, especially if you work outside, as many car wash employees do.
Your employees are your most valuable asset. So, you need to keep them safe during a heatwave. Read on to learn how to prevent heat stress and death.
Why Heat is Dangerous
There are two things that can make a heatwave worse. The first is humidity. A “dome” of high atmospheric pressure traps damp air near the ground. The second thing which makes a heatwave worse is when it’s very dry outside because it hasn’t rained in a long time. When it doesn’t rain, the ground becomes dusty, and lots of dust limits visibility.
What to Do During a Heatwave
The first thing you should be aware of during a period of extreme heat is its affect on the human body. Humans can’t handle too much heat (especially when it’s paired with humidity). Our bodies have a self-cooling mechanism. When we’re exposed to high heat for too long, that mechanism stops working.
What steps can you take to prevent this from happening? First of all, limit the amount of time your employees spend outside during a heatwave. They should be in an air conditioned environment as much as possible.
Secondly, make sure that they drink water. It doesn’t matter how much work they’re doing – they need to replenish the fluids they’ve lost from sweating. Remind your employees that sugary drinks such as soda aren’t healthy during a heatwave. They cause your body to lose more fluids.
The third step to surviving a heatwave is to wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and lots of sunscreen. Loose-fitting clothing allows oxygen to circulate, and light colors don’t absorb much heat. Sunscreen protects the skin from burns. Make sure your employees reapply it frequently.
Monitoring your employees carefully is the fourth and final step to protecting them during a heatwave. When someone’s self-cooling mechanism stops working, they can become confused and even pass out. You don’t want your employees to be working so hard that they come to that point. Keep a close eye on them when the temperatures soar. If it looks as though they’re about to faint, take them back inside.
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For over 30 years MacNeil Wash Systems has provided superior car wash equipment to the tunnel car wash industry, automotive dealers, fleet and rental markets.
Contact us to learn more about how our products and services can support your car wash business.