It’s been less than a month since spring officially turned to summer and most of America is already sizzling. Here in Minnesota, we have more than 10,000 lakes, streams, and rivers we can jump in to cool off in our spare time. But what is a person supposed to do when the temperatures start to rise at work, especially if you work outside or in a facility without climate-control?

There isn’t a magic answer to that question and heatstroke, or heat-exhaustion are real risks for those who make their living exposed to the elements. But after almost 40 years of working in all kinds of environments from farms to jobsites to factories, in all kinds of weather, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks that can help you beat the heat as well.

Know the Signs

Before we get to tips and tricks, it’s important you know what you’re trying to avoid. Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are both heat-related illnesses and exist on the same spectrum of symptoms. However, heat exhaustion can be treated with basic first aid while heatstroke requires immediate medical attention, so being aware of the difference between the two can be all that separates an uncomfortable condition from a very scary one.

The clearest indicators to watch out for between heatstroke and heat exhaustion are the change in skin condition and cognitive function. If you or a coworker go from excessive sweating with cool, clammy skin to no sweating with hot, dry skin, that is a huge red flag. If mental confusion and slurred speech are also occurring, then you need to call 911 immediately and take emergency steps to begin cooling the affected person down.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Knowing what to look for, and what to do if you find it, is always important. However, the goal is to avoid these situations completely whenever possible. The good news is that’s relatively simple with just a little extra planning and effort. Here’s what’s worked for me and my crews over the years. I promise, whether you work in the field or a facility, there’s something in this list that will help you too!

1 Hydrate – Your body is an amazing machine, and it already has a great cooling system. You just need to keep it fully functional. Sweating may be gross but it’s how your body cools itself, and it works. If you’re starting to feel thirsty, you’re already underhydrated. The trick is to take a preventive maintenance approach. Drink lots of water and drink it on a schedule. Tell yourself one bottle before work, one during work before break, one at break time, etc. This will make sure you’re always replacing what you’re losing so your body can keep sweating. If multiple bottles are a bother, something with measurements can really help keep you on track.

2 Clothes – It’s important to dress appropriately for the weather but this doesn’t just mean what you wear. How, and how long, you wear your clothes matters too. When working outside, wearing material that is both lightweight and light-colored can help you. Lightweight clothing helps you shed heat more easily and light-colored clothing absorbs less solar energy to create heat in the first place. But even the most perfect clothing will still leave you sweating if it’s hot enough, so bring a spare (or two). Having dry socks and shirts to change into at break times is a great heat hack. This doesn’t just keep you feeling drier and more comfortable, it allows your sweat cycle to continue more efficiently too.

3 Cover up – Suns out, guns out. Right? Wrong! It may sound counter-intuitive but the more skin you cover when working in the heat the better, especially outside. Long sleeves and long pants in lightweight materials keep the sun off your skin. This helps to hold moisture in to avoid dehydration and prevents direct contact with rays, so you keep extra heat out and extra moisture in. Hats with wide brims are great add-ons to protect typically uncovered areas like your face and neck. Clothing made with UV-resistant materials add an extra layer of protection too.

4 Cooling Towels – Cooling towels, neck wraps, and headbands are essentials for anyone working in high heat environments. Basically, they help amplify your body’s ability to cool itself by causing increased evaporation. A bonus is that they feel great on a hot day, especially if you store extras in your cooler or soak them in cold water.

5 Avoid Bad Stuff – Alcohol and caffeine are both natural diuretics. This means they will advance dehydration (dry you out faster) so drinking a cold beer or pop on a hot day is a bad idea. They might taste good and feel good but they’re doing bad things to your cooling system. Save these beverages for off-hours spent in AC and focus on water or liquids with electrolytes. Avoid sugars when possible also.

6 Points of Relief – It might sound new age but applying pressure to certain points of your body can help lower blood pressure, reducing internal heat creation and causing a full body cooling effect. Apply pressure to the back of your neck, shoulders, or bottom of your feet next time you take a break, and you’ll see what I mean.

7 Pair Off – The heat can sneak up on you when you’re distracted at work and sometimes it’s hardest to “see” yourself. Because of this you should always work in pairs when working in extremely hot conditions. Keep an eye on each other while working and remind each other to drink water and take breaks according to the schedule you agree to before starting your day. Make sure you have a plan in place, ahead of time, for what to do if signs of heat illness are noticed!

More Tips & Tricks

I hope you found value in this list. I learned most of these lessons the hard way and I don’t want you to have to do the same. If you’d like more tips & tricks to take with you to work, read our previous blog with advice on how to survive a 12-hour shift. Got tips or tricks of your own to share? We’d love to help you do that! Send them to our Writing Team and we’ll be happy to share them in a future blog. Stay cool and be safe this summer!

Summer is still more than a month away, but people in many parts of the country are already starting to feel the heat. Maintenance managers aren’t any different than the rest of us when it comes to considering the needs of their HVAC/R equipment and facilities. They don’t want to be caught unprepared when the weather is at its worst. Creating and following a checklist can greatly simplify maintenance of an industrial or commercial facility. We’ve covered prepping for winter weather before. Now we have a checklist that can help you prepare your facilities for the warmer weather ahead too.

Facility Exteriors

Areas of a building that could suffer wear and tear from exposure to the elements.

Roofing – The integrity of a building starts with its roof. Inspect vents and drains for blockages. Remove debris from drainage systems and gutters. Identify and record any damage or corrosion present and repair/replace as necessary.

Parking lots & Garages – Review and test functionality of electrical components like automatic gates and light fixtures. Ensure pedestrian and traffic signage are easily visible and legible. Track damage to pavement such as cracks and potholes, repair as necessary.
Windows & Doors – Anywhere that allows people to enter and exit a building can do the same for heat or cold. Inspecting windows, doors, frames, and locks every season maximizes efficiency AND safety for your facility.

Facility Interiors

Areas of a building that could suffer wear and tear from seasonal downtime.

Electricity & Energy Use – Cold weather use can strain electrical systems and force rodents inside to cause problems. Check wiring for signs of damage or corrosion and test surge suppressors for functionality. Review energy consumption reports to identify areas of concern or opportunities for savings.
Plumbing – Hot weather can put very different demands on plumbing compared to winter months. Inspect all piping and couplings for leaks. Check water heating and cooling systems for functionality as well as sewage pumps.
HVAC – Proper winterization through cold weather will do much to make sure your cooling systems are ready for the heat of summer. But you still need to inspect blowers and condensers to make sure they’re working properly. You should also replace filters and refill fluids as necessary too. Finally, make sure all ductwork and exhaust fans are cleaned and inspected as well.
Machinery & Equipment – Any production machinery or material handling equipment that has sat dormant through winter for any reason should get a full inspection and tune up, especially if it’s been stored in a facility that isn’t climate-controlled. Be prepared for inactivity to have caused settling that may require recalibration too.

Facility Grounds

Non-building areas of a facility whose maintenance needs change with the season

Parking Lots & Garages – Ice can cause damage to parking areas such as cracks and potholes. Filling, patching, or resurfacing may be required. Also check any signage (painted or posted) that may have weathered, faded, or been knocked down by snowplows.
Lawns, Gardens & Planters – There is seasonal planting and care, such as mowing, to think about in preparation for summer. But make sure to properly inspect less visible items such as irrigation lines and valves too.

Pest Treatment & Removal – Winter can cause problems with pests sheltering inside your facility, but summer is all about the outside. Scheduling a pest control company for regular service is a great way to prevent problems with varmints that can damage your grounds (think moles) or your people (wasps) before they ever occur!

These aren’t the only steps required to prepare a facility for summer, but they are some of the most important ones. If you’re swamped and need help checking some items off your building’s list, contact us now to see if our HVAC/R or Facility Maintenance techs can help you out. If you’re experienced preparing industrial and commercial properties for seasonal changes, send us your resume to learn more about work on our projects. Either way, we hope all of you stay cool, safe, and productive this summer.

As you know, every technician has a toolbox. Many of the tools are mechanical in nature to include wrenches, pliers, drivers, etc., but also critical to the toolbox are inspection or precision measurement tools ensuring the quality of work performed. Here’s our version of every technician’s toolbox as it relates to quality operations. It is important to note that some of these items are provided by employers due to the nature of the equipment or calibrations required so when it’s time to build your toolbox, consider those most critical to your role.

Inspection Tools

Calipers: These tools measure the ID and OD of an object. Types of calipers include Dial Calipers, Vernier Calipers, and Digital Calipers. You can find the differences here.
Gauges
1. Thread Gauges (also known as screw gauges or pitch gauges). These measure the pitch of a screw thread.
2. Go/No Go Gauges (including plug gauges, snap gauges, ring gauges). These perform very simple inspections by checking the dimensional limits of parts. You can find the differences here.
3. Chamfer Gauges determine the top diameter of tapered or chamfered holes and countersinks.
4. Depth Gauges/Depth Micrometers used to measure depth, holes, slots, etc.
5. Height Gauges measure (and set) heights of objects/vertical distances of an object.
Hardness Tester measures the hardness of material (or Rockwell Hardness). The method for using these is determined by the type of material.
Indicators: used to align workpieces in machines or fixtures, inspect circular pieces after grind operations, analyze surface roughness, among other items.
1. Dial Test Indicators.
2. Plunge Indicators.
3. Travel Indicators.
Micrometers: measure depth, length, and thickness of components.
Surface Comparators: measure surface roughness and/or finish.
Surface Plates: solid, flat, granite/cast iron plates used as reference points horizontally to gauge whether a surface is flat, concave, or convex.

Tool Tidbits

Many of these tools are either analog or digital in nature. What does that mean? Think of an analog clock where the time is read in the form of hands positioned at specific numbers while a digital clock reads out just the numbers. These tools have the capability to operate in one or the other, as well.

Some of these tools use the Metric measurement system to read out measurements while others use the Imperial measurement system. If you’re not sure what those are, check this out.

It’s critical that these tools be calibrated. The process to calibrate tools ensure that all tools are measuring accurately and consistently, providing reliability of the instrument and trust in the measurements determined.

Technicians and Their Tools

Most technicians who use these tools are CNC Operators, CNC Machinists, Quality Inspectors, and CMM Programmers as well as some general Machine Operators. In these roles, it is important to perform pre-inspection, in-process inspection, and post- (or final) inspection to ensure all operations performed were done to specification and quality standards. Remember, safety first, quality second.

General PPE Made Easy

The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) recommends Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as the last line of defense to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. This means that other controls, like elimination or substitution, may do more to ensure the safety of the overall organization. But nothing does more than PPE to protect the individual worker in the event of a hazard.

We’ve created this PPE checklist to help you cover all your safety equipment bases at work.

The Basics

There are many kinds of equipment intended for specific kinds of protection. A hazard assessment can help identify which specific PPE is most needed at a particular site or facility. They all generally fall under one of four basic types:

Face and Eye Protection
Respiratory Protection
Skin and Body Protection
Hearing Protection

All these types of PPE have their own sub-categories that can vary greatly. Let’s examine each in a little more detail.

Face and Eye Protection

PPE intended to guard your face and eyes from damage due to sprays, splashes, projectiles, or burns. Some types of PPE in this category include:

Goggles
Safety Glasses
Face shields
Welding Visors

*Pro-Tip: Always check that glasses and lenses conform to ANSI Z87.1 standard and are free of cracks or other deformities.

Respiratory Protection

PPE intended to protect your lungs and internal organs during any task that can cause inhalation of harmful materials. Some types of PPE in this category include:

Full-face respirators
Self-contained breathing apparatus
Gas masks
Partial face coverings like N95 respirators or surgical masks

*Pro-Tip: Always ensure that equipment is fit-tested prior to use and change filters frequently.

Skin and Body Protection

PPE intended to prevent physical damage to different parts of your body. This category is broken down into areas of protection that include:

Head Protection – Helmets and hard hats
Body Protection – Safety vests and/or suits
Hands Protection – Gloves and guards
Foot Protection – Knee pads, boots, and gaiters
Fall Protection – Safety harnesses and lanyards

*Pro-Tip: Always repair or replace equipment that has suffered damage or contamination.

Hearing Protection

PPE providing protection during tasks that can cause hearing problems or loss. Some types of PPE in this category include:

Earmuffs
Ear plugs
Ear caps

*Pro-Tip: Never use equipment that is unclean, in disrepair, or fits poorly.

Hopefully this list helps you break down the basics of PPE so you can confidently address the needs of your own job or facility. Ideally, this improved understanding will make it easier to use your hazard assessment to make improvements to all aspects of your safety culture. A simple checklist could really help you too.

If you’d like more info on Personal Protection Equipment, check out the PPE section of our previous Every Technician’s Toolbox blog article. If your safety knowledge already includes everything mentioned above, and you know how to use it, you’re probably ready for a career in the manufacturing industry. Send your resume to retoolrecruiting@pmgservices.com and we’ll get you started!