This summer has seen record-high temperatures across the Gulf Coast, with little rainfall to offer relief. The extreme heat and high humidity can create a brutal working environment for employees working outside or in non-air-conditioned areas.

Learn several ways to help keep your employees safe and protected from the scorching summer heat and humidity. These steps can ensure you have a stable, healthy workforce throughout the summer.

Keep Hydrated

One of the most important ways to protect worker health is to create and enforce mandatory breaks for workers performing their jobs outside, giving employees a chance to drink water and cool off as much as possible. This is especially important for contractors, landscapers, restaurant workers in hot kitchens, farm and ranch workers, and retail employees working outside.

Without proper hydration, workers can easily become overheated and experience health risks such as cramping, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. Regular water breaks can help protect the immediate and long-term health of all your employees having to work outside.

Require Protective Clothing

Protective clothing can make a significant impact on the health and safety of your employees who are spending time working in the direct sun. From HVAC contractors, roofers, grocery store workers, construction crews, and other outside employees, all can benefit from the cooling and skin protection offered by protective clothing.

Workers in the sun should wear loose shirts that are made from breathable material to cool them while also protecting their skin from sun damage. Wide brimmed hats with flap caps can also protect the head and back of the neck from sunburns or overheating, and sunglasses can protect the eyes from extreme glare or UV damage.

Rotating Employee Shifts

Finally, companies can protect the health and well-being of their work staff by rotating employees on and off as much as possible to provide needed breaks and avoid employee exhaustion. Rotating shifts allows multiple employees to get hours for work while not over-working any employee to the point of illness or missed shifts.

For example, grocery stores and other retailers can have a rotation of employees to gather shopping carts in parking lots or delivery purchases to customer vehicles, which can ensure that all workers have the chance to cool off and rest. HVAC contractors or landscapers can have some workers take morning shifts while others take afternoon shifts to ensure there is a healthy and rested workforce available throughout the day.

Worker Health Is a Priority for Aegis Insurance

Aegis Insurance & Financial Services believes a healthy workforce is the backbone of any successful and strong company, and companies that prioritize worker health are much more likely to see gains in productivity as well as employee retention.

We are committed to helping companies have the financial protection Commercial Insurance coverage can provide, including Workers Compensation, General Liability, Commercial Property, and Excess Liability policies.

Contact Aegis today at 713-850-7622 to learn about our Workers Compensation coverage or fill out our online form to request a free quote.