Summer is a time filled with barbecues, splashing around in the pool, traveling, and outdoor festivals. However, the summer season also means scorching temperatures and the beginning of hurricane season. As we enjoy the summer months, it’s important to plan ahead with some simple safety measures to keep employees, clients, team partners and others safe this season. Guy R. Butts, BS ASP CSP CHMM CSS CDS, Corporate Health and Safety Manager at Draper Aden Associates, has provided the following tips to keep everyone at Draper Aden safe in the summer heat and hurricane season.
Heat Exposure Prevention Tools
- Drink Water: To ensure that you don’t suffer any heat exposure, make sure to plan each day with an adequate amount of water and electrolytes to replace the fluids that your body uses during the day. The recommended daily amount of fluid to drink is 8-10 cups.
- Take Rest Breaks: Rest breaks during the workday help prevent heat exposure. Dress in lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Try to protect your face and head by wearing a hat and lots of sunscreen.
- Limit the Amount of Caffeine: Limit the intake of coffee and/or soda and other fluids that contain caffeine. Drinks with caffeine in them are considered diuretics.
- Check Temperature and Humidity Levels: The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool Application is a great resource and provides the daily temperature and humidity levels. The app gives an hourly look-ahead and includes resources such as symptoms of heat exposure and First Aid tips for different types of heat exposure. The app can be downloaded right to your cell phone.
Hurricane Season Tips
Hurricane Season officially began in the beginning of June and will end on November 30, 2018. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a 75% chance that the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season will be near or above normal. In addition, NOAA is predicting that there will be 10 to 16 named storms, five to six hurricanes, and one to four major hurricanes this season.
- Make a Hurricane Disaster Plan: Create a safety plan ahead of time to ensure that you have the required materials to last seven to ten days without electricity, water, cell coverage, gasoline, cable, internet, and access to retail stores.
- Sign Up: Sign up for your community’s warning system to receive weather emergency alerts straight to your cell phone.
- Know Your Zone: The Virginia Department of Emergency Management launched an evacuation zone process in the case of extreme hurricane emergencies. The zones are designated A through D and provide residents with a better understanding of whether to evacuate in an emergency or shelter at home based on the street address and nature of the emergency. Know Your Zone in the case of an emergency!
Safety is a priority for our firm. Our employees, our clients and our teaming partners depend on us to provide a safe environment in all we do. Not only do we want to meet our safety goals and requirement, we want to surpass them. For more information on safety precautions and tips for this summer heat and hurricane season, please contact Guy R. Butts at gbutts@daa.com. Safety is key!
