Summer Workwear: How To Stay Safe And Cool

f you’re managing a construction site then you need to think about the wellbeing and comfort of your workers at all times of the year. As we move into summer, we’ll all be hoping for warmer weather, but you need to make sure that as the temperatures rise, you provide appropriate workwear.

Globe Newswire recently shared some advice from US firm UniFirst about how to kit out your workers for the summer weather.

Top of the list was making sure that, as far as possible, any hivis workwear is loose fitting. This helps air circulate, keeping the body cooler and drier than tight-fitting clothing. When you’re selecting garments, look for ones made from moisture wicking and lightweight fabrics too.

Of course, one of the purposes of workwear is to protect people, so if you still need relatively heavy-duty items of clothing for your team try to find ones with built-in ventilation, such as mesh sections to allow the air to circulate, or that are made from breathable fabrics if this isn’t practical.

Aside from people’s workwear, there are a few other things you should consider to keep people healthy and comfortable onsite. Making sure all your workers are hydrated - and have access to water throughout the day - is essential.

Encouraging people to wear sun protection, such as sunscreen on any exposed skin and sunglasses to protect their eyes, is also advisable.

With the Met Office in the UK predicting that temperatures in the UK will be near or slightly above average as we move into June, it’s worth considering how you’ll handle periods of hot weather during the rest of the summer.