TAKEAWAY: This article delves into strategies to keep workers cool and safe on drilling sites during the hot summer months. Read on to discover essential tactics for mitigating heat-related risks and ensuring the well-being of your workforce.
Jump Ahead
When the summer sun blazes down on drilling sites, the combination of strenuous work, full-length protective gear, and high temperatures can create a recipe for heat-related challenges.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) defines a “hot” worksite as one where conditions exceed a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 79°F (26°C), taking into account factors like air temperature, humidity, radiation, and wind speed.
Drilling activities in the mining and oil and gas industries intensify the heat load on workers. Strenuous labour also generates considerable body heat, so addressing the risks associated with elevated temperatures is crucial. While protective clothing shields workers from sunburn and keeps workers safe on a drilling site, it can inadvertently contribute to heat stress.
Risks of Hot Job Sites for Workers
Working under scorching conditions on drilling sites introduces risks beyond the discomfort of high temperatures. Sweltering heat can significantly impact workers’ job performance and health.
Exposure to extreme heat can adversely affect concentration, reaction time, alertness, and coordination, increasing the potential for accidents and injuries. Heat stress, a common consequence of prolonged exposure to high temperatures, can manifest as muscle cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, or the most severe form, heat stroke.
For drilling site workers, the combination of physically demanding tasks, full protective gear, and soaring temperatures heightens the risk of these heat-related conditions. As the mercury rises, safeguarding workers’ health and safety becomes an utmost priority.
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How to Stay Cool on Hot Drilling Sites
Navigating the sizzling conditions of drilling sites when it’s hot requires a strategic approach to ensure workers’ well-being and safety. Here are nine vital strategies to help keep workers cool in the sweltering heat.
- Hydration
Prioritize hydration by providing ample water and promoting regular intake. Steer clear of caffeinated beverages, which can lead to dehydration. Workers arriving on-site dehydrated, perhaps after consuming alcohol the previous night, will have increased hydration needs.
Furnish a cool box with refreshing drinks, allowing workers easy access to hydration throughout their shifts.
- Regular Rest Breaks in a Shaded Area
While establishing permanent shaded areas might pose challenges, encourage workers to seek shade during rest breaks. Doing so provides opportunities to rehydrate and lower body temperatures. Workers can find shady spots nearby, such as air-conditioned truck cabs, to cool down during breaks.
Rest breaks can sometimes disrupt drilling site workflow. To manage this, plan in line with ongoing tasks. It might be necessary to stagger breaks, with some workers continuing until a convenient pause point. However, it’s critical to prioritize worker safety by ensuring immediate rest if heat stress signs emerge.
- Slow the Pace
Discourage rushing through tasks, as this can make the work feel more strenuous and increase the heat load on the worker, raising the risk of heat stress.
- Cover up
When full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) isn’t required, advise workers to wear long-sleeved, lightweight, and cooling clothing to shield themselves from the sun. Ensure the face, neck, eyes, ears, and back of the head are protected.
- Heat Safety Designation
Assign a team member to monitor heat safety to help oversee the team’s well-being. Train this individual to identify heat-related symptoms, distribute water bottles, enforce rest and shade breaks, and initiate the buddy system. A buddy system helps ensure workers look out for each other and watch for signs and symptoms of heat stress.
- Monitor the Heat Index
The heat index is what the heat feels like, considering the combination of temperature and humidity levels. Most phone weather apps display the Heat Index. The National Weather Service says a heat index of 90-105 F (32-40 C) may cause sunstroke, heat cramps, and heat exhaustion with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity.
Understanding that the heat index was established for shady conditions with light wind is vital. Full sunshine can increase the index values by up to 15.
For drilling workers, the temperature could feel even hotter than the number on the heat index, given their protective clothing, strenuous work, and heat generated from the job site. Consider establishing your own heat threshold for workers, prompting additional or extended breaks, or reducing workload.
OSHA recommends using a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) monitor to measure workplace environmental heat.
- Acclimatize Employees to Work in Extreme Heat
Acclimatizing employees to extreme heat involves a gradual workload increase for new and returning workers over 1-2 weeks. During heatwaves, reduce workload and heat exposure by 50% for all workers, gradually restoring to 100% over four days. Workers should continue taking breaks in shaded, cool areas during acclimatization.
Remember that workers respond uniquely to heat stress. Variations in health and medication can lead to differing heat sensitivities. Thus, relying solely on the heat index might not account for individual variations.
- Strategic Work Schedules
Adjust work schedules to avoid peak heat. Consider starting earlier and finishing earlier to minimize exposure during the hottest parts of the day. Prioritize more frequent breaks during peak heat hours.
- Heat Safety Training
Provide thorough heat safety training as part of overall health and safety protocols. Train workers to prevent heat-related illnesses, recognize symptoms, administer first aid, and follow emergency plans.
By implementing these strategies, drilling site operators can ensure a safer and more comfortable work environment for their teams.
Looking For Fitness-to-Work Testing?
SureHire’s Fitness-to-Work program tests participants’ ability to perform the physical demands and bona fide occupational requirements of a job. These day-to-day tasks can include lifting, carrying, crouching, bending, reaching, and long periods of time spent moving without rest.
Fitness-to-Work testing is a great tool for employers in determining whether they have the right hire for the job.
How to Keep Workers Cool on Drilling Sites During Summer | In Conclusion
In conclusion, safeguarding workers’ well-being on drilling sites when the temperatures are high is paramount. Employers can mitigate the risks of heat-related illnesses by adopting a holistic approach emphasizing hydration, rest breaks, vigilant monitoring, and tailored strategies for acclimatization. Acknowledging individual differences and maintaining a watchful eye on heat index readings are crucial.
Through diligent adherence to these strategies, drilling site operators can foster a safer and more comfortable work environment, ensuring the health and productivity of their valuable workforce. Prioritize these measures to keep your team cool and thriving even in the hottest conditions.
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