Whether you have always worn PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or you are now required to wear it to protect yourself from the spread of coronavirus, you can agree that it can get hot when wearing it.
Wearing PPE in hot conditions can become dangerous if you overheat as you can develop heatstroke. Being hot and bothered during work can also be very uncomfortable, make you feel uneasy and lead to heat-stress.
To help combat feeling hot while wearing PPE, we’ve pulled together some helpful tips on how best to stay cool. So, if you often get hot while wearing PPE or you want to ensure your employees are comfortable when wearing PPE, keep reading…
Appropriate PPE clothing
Ensure you choose to wear anti-fogging goggles and eye protection with good ventilation to prevent condensation. If you’re not wearing an appropriate mask, cool air may struggle to reach the lungs and this can result in shortness of breath as well as feeling hot and bothered. You must ensure you only wear masks with a breathable fabric such as cotton or linen to allow for more airflow. Furthermore, you should never reuse a disposable mask. The same applies when wearing gloves. Make sure you are provided with a few pairs of disposable gloves each day so that you never have to reuse them.
Limit PPE Time
This tip comes from firefighters who wear PPE in the highest of temperatures. Although PPE is necessary, if you feel yourself overheating, you need to limit your PPE time. Employers should consider this and allow employees additional breaks to have a breather and cool off from wearing their PPE.
Drink plenty of water
Dehydration can be more common if you become hot while wearing PPE. Cool water should be easily available for all employees required to wear PPE so they can stay hydrated. Employers should, therefore, arrange for water to be readily available and if you’re an employee, flag this up to your manager.
Don’t be tempted to take off your PPE while working
While you may feel uncomfortable working in PPE, it is there to protect you and by removing PPE you’re only putting your own health at risk – it’s not worth it! However, if you do start to feel too uncomfortable to work, step away from your environment and speak to a manager immediately about your concerns and only when they say it is safe to do so, should you remove your PPE.
During this pandemic make sure you provide your staff with the appropriate personal protective equipment by shopping at Hi-Vis. We can guarantee you that they’re made of breathable and properly ventilated material to prevent staff from overheating as much as possible. We have a broad range of PPE available such as goggles, masks, gloves, cleaning products and more.
We replenish our stock daily and it is ready for immediate dispatch. You can also buy the majority of our items in bulk to ensure that you are fully stocked. You can browse our range here https://www.hivis.net/c126/covid-19-products/ or if you have any questions regarding our PPE, be sure to contact us on 0845 009 6750 or send an email to info@sitesupplyco.com