Anyone who works in the Oil & Gas industry knows how hot all of that PPE can be in the hot summer weather. Heavy work boots, fire resistant coveralls, gloves, hard hat…you feel like you are bundled for winter.
A few tips to beat the heat:
- Freeze water the night before so that you have cool water in the afternoon and bring enough for the entire day. Also ensure your employer is aware of their responsibility to provide drinking water.
- Purchase lighter CSA approved boots for the summer months, since we only have two warm months per year they should last you a while! Check with your employer to see if they help pay for work boots…Some do!
- In extreme heat take additional breaks. Sit in the shade or an air conditioned vehicle. If possible adjust your schedule so that labour intensive work is performed in the morning or evening when it is cooler.
- If the work you are performing does not have a significant risk of flash fire or explosion (fencing leases, off site topsoil depth testing, surveying of new site, etc) discuss with your client the risk of overexposure to heat and ask for an exemption to wearing fire resistant Coveralls for that task.