Practicing Employee Safety
Practicing employee safety is a top priority for business owners and managers. They have to think about all aspects of their employees’ jobs and every potential hazard that they may encounter to protect their health and well-being and avoid unnecessary costs. This is especially true for businesses with commercial cool rooms.
When temperatures are kept above freezing, there are fewer regulations, so it’s up to employers and employees themselves to maximise comfort and figure out best practices for an efficient workplace. If your business has a commercial cold room or
industrial cold room, special precautions must be taken. Let’s look at what some of those safety measures are.
Carefully Monitor the Temperature
The first and most basic safety measure to take in a commercial cool room is to monitor the temperature. This not only protects the people working inside it, but also whatever materials you’re trying to keep cool. It’s your first line of defence against all sorts of other problems, many of which are covered below.
Provide or Require Protective Gear
Require your employees to wear protective gear. This might mean that you need to provide it for them, but it’s well worth the investment if it will keep your staff more productive and happier.
Here are some basic protective items to consider requiring and/or providing:
● Hats, preferably wool or thermal hats that also cover the ears and neck
● Gloves or hand coverings; the type will depend on the nature of the work being done, but any hand covering is better than none at all
● Thermal clothing, including long underwear and other items worn next to the skin under an outer layer
● Heavy insulated jackets or heated jackets
● Wool socks and heavy-duty footwear; socks should also be moisture-wicking to keep feet dry and warm
● Face coverings
In addition, simple measures such as tucking in shirts and fastening all buttons can go a long way in providing comfort. Finally, consider purchasing reusable hand warmers and feet warmers to put in pockets and shoes.
Knowledge Is Power
Train, train, and train some more, not only on how employees should perform their actual jobs, but about the science behind keeping warm and how they can protect themselves. Telling a staff person to tuck in their shirt is not nearly as effective as explaining why they should do so, after all.
Here are some tips and tricks with which to equip your staff working in an industrial cold room:
● The key to staying warm is healthy blood flow. In order to achieve this, be sure to stay well hydrated and stick to a healthy diet. Drink lots of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
● Caffeine acts as a diuretic and can make you dehydrated. So can alcohol and tobacco, which also adversely affect blood flow.
● Move around: even just taking a few steps or stretching can help restore better blood flow, especially if you’ve been in the same position for a long time.
● Check all medications (prescribed and over the counter) for how they might affect you in a commercial cold room, and double check with your physician.
● Keep garments dry: don’t overdress, as insulated clothing will also trap sweat and moisture will make you colder in the end. If your job entails a lot of physical activity, have a couple changes of inner layers available.
It is also worth noting that it’s important to be up front about the job when interviewing and vetting candidates. Make sure that whomever you hire is ready to work in these conditions.
Utilise Innovative Engineering
There are several feats of engineering that make commercial cold rooms more hospitable for the staff that have to work in them. Everything from reducing or eliminating drafts and wind to heating or cooling particular zones of the room can go a long way in employee comfort. Consult an expert in industrial cooling to learn more.
Properly Supervise and Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Finally, one of the best things that you can do is encourage staff to speak up about concerns and ideas. Also, make sure that someone is on call at all times when employees are working in your commercial cool room. Task that person with the safety of staff and train them on signs and symptoms of problems.
By following these steps, you can be sure of the safety of your staff as well as the efficiency of your workplace.
For trusted commercial cool room experts, BOSSY’s Refrigeration takes pride in providing high levels of customer support and personal service. BOSSY’s Refrigeration is proud to provide servicing, maintenance, repair and installation of all brands of commercial cool rooms. Contact us today to speak to our friendly and knowledgeable team and find out more about how we can help.