Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131994
safetyspecial Keep your cool There are benefits for employers and employees alike in finding shelter at work. For staff working outdoors in Australia's often harsh and hot conditions, staying cool is incredibly important. Increases in temperature and long periods of time spent exposed to sun, wind and heat also mean increases in staff stress, dehydration and fatigue, all of which are detrimental to worker productivity and importantly, to onthe-job health. Under Australian occupational health and safety (OH&S) guidelines, employers should be seeking out ways to protect their workers from potentially cancer-causing sun damage. It is also against OH&S principles not to provide shelter for outdoor workers. "Our customers can no longer imagine working in the hot sun doing maintenance on their vehicles and equipment … this can not only cause lethargy but poses health risks such as third-degree sunburn, overheating, dehydration – all leading to time off work and the loss of an integral staff member and colleague," explains shelter manufacturer Allshelter. Onsite solutions to protect outdoor workers that employees themselves can adopt include wearing the correct UV-protective clothing, such as long sleeves and hats, using sunscreen and, most obviously, keeping out of the sun and avoiding harsh environments. A common and safer recommendation is a container shelter. "Our shelters are UV-stabilised and are at least 30 per cent cooler than the outside temperature," says Allshelter. "A Pacific island mine contractor working in tropical heat couldn't stop talking about how it was over 15 degrees cooler under his Allshelter. Some staff would even sleep in there on hot afternoons!" Allshelter manufactures a massive range of types and styles of top-quality, 'heat-defeating' shelters, including shelters that are site-specific and custom-built. They produce mining, industrial, agricultural shelters and towable shelters, as well as many other weather protection solutions. "Our shelters are UV-stabilised and are at least 30 per cent cooler than the outside temperature." 81