• Solutions to help control employees’ heat exposure include wearing wet clothing or specialized PPE with cooling mechanisms, resting, drinking fluids, and pacing or toning down the work.

Sometimes workers are required to wear heavy clothing to protect against contact with hot materials or surfaces. Or they must wear impermeable chemical protective clothing, which can contribute to their exposure to heat.

There are specialized types of personal protective equipment (PPE) that can be worn under other types of protective clothing to cool workers. Ice vests have many pockets where ice packets can be inserted. Water-cooled garments have a battery-driven pump that circulates coolant through chambers in the clothing. Another system uses an air supply to circulate air around workers in impermeable suits.

Work practices to help control heat hazards

A more common technique that might be considered PPE is to wear wet clothing, headbands, or bandanas. This could also be considered a type of work practice control.

Other work practices that help control exposure to the heat include:

• Using intermittent rest periods to recover from the heat.
• Drinking about 5 to 7 ounces of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes to replenish body fluids.
• Using relief workers.
• Using the buddy system (working in pairs) when working in hot conditions.
• Pacing the work, or reducing the physical demands of the work.
• Providing cool recovery or shaded rest areas.
• Scheduling work for cooler times of the day or when heat-producing equipment isn’t being operated.
• Wearing light, loose-fitting, breathable (e.g., cotton) clothing.