Environmental Equipment and Heat Stress Monitor Rental Company Urges Importance of Heat Stress Training
Denise Chew Offers Businesses Four Heat Stress Training Tips to Protect Both Workers and the Bottom Line.
Charlotte, NC-- Denise Chew, President of environmental equipment rental and heat stress monitor rental company Enviro-Equipment, Inc., has an urgent message for businesses with workers who perform their duties in a hot environment: provide heat stress training now, before both worker well-being and the business's bottom line are threatened.
Chew's message, which is all the more pressing given the record-setting heat that has gripped much of the country so far this summer, urges businesses not to put profits and productivity over the health and safety of their workforce.
"Employers have a legal and moral obligation to keep their people out of harm's way, and that includes providing them with the training they need to safely work in a hot environment," commented Chew. "Furthermore, it's not a trade-off between profits vs. protection. Smart businesses realize that minor investments in renting heat stress monitors or industrial hygiene equipment are negligible compared to the direct and indirect costs of worker injury, which can include everything from lost productivity, to higher insurance premiums, or even litigation and damages."
Chew further advises businesses to follow four heat stress training tips to keep their workers safe and their business productive:
1. Place a placard or sign in each work area that explains how to recognize and care for heat related illnesses, such as heat stroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat-induced fainting.
2. Conduct a formal risk assessment wherever there is the slightest risk of heat stress. This includes identifying hazards, identifying employees most susceptible to heat stress, examining work clothing and any special gear/devices they need to carry, and identifying proper precautions to prevent heat related illnesses.
3. Become familiar with the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which is the standard unit of measurement to assess heat stress. Employers should also ensure that any heat stress monitors are ultra-reliable and in accordance with OSHA standards.
4. Implement a practical Work Rest Regime (WRR), which reflects the specific levels of WBGT. Employers must also provide workers susceptible to heat stress with cool areas to rest, and encourage them to drink plenty of fluids (preferably water) before their next shift.
Added Chew: "It's not just workers who need education and awareness - supervisors and managers need to be trained in heat stress management, and must be prepared to intervene as soon as an issue is detected. As with all problems, prevention is the best remedy, and that's closely followed by early detection and intelligent, efficient response."
Employers who want to learn more about protecting their workers - and their profits -- can read Chew's informative and timely article "The Importance of Heat Stress Training" on the Enviro-Equipment Inc. blog.
For more information or media inquiries, contact Rand Ratterree at rand@enviroequipment.com or 704-588-7970.
About Enviro-Equipment, Inc.
Enviro-Equipment, Inc., a woman-owned small business founded in 1993, rents, sells, and repairs environmental monitoring equipment used for pollution control, groundwater remediation, water and wastewater treatment, safety and industrial hygiene, and environmental assessment. The company's Charlotte, NC facility also offers environmental monitoring instruments, field sampling supplies, safety products, equipment repair, and training. Enviro-Equipment's customers include colleges and universities, government agencies, industry, and environmental consultants in the groundwater hydrology and industrial hygiene fields in North America. Learn more at www.enviroequipment.com. or connect with Enviro-Equipment, Inc at twitter.com/EnviroEquipmnt, www.facebook.com/EnviroEquipment, or youtube.com/EnviroEquipment.
