Campaigns to increase awareness about the dangers of outdoor working in the summer months are helping to get the safety-first message through, according to a survey of roofing professionals undertaken by Marley.
Coinciding with the launch of the company’s annual ‘Safe in the Sun’ campaign, the survey results show that most contractors (81%) are now ‘extremely aware’ of the dangers of working outside in the heat, with many able to recognise the common signs associated with the onset of dangerous conditions such as heatstroke.
Safe sun message getting through
A select group of contractors took part in the poll and over four fifths felt they could recognise the important tell-tale signs and symptoms of heatstroke, including tiredness, dizziness, vomiting, excessive sweating and becoming pale and clammy.
Knowledge of how to counter the possibility of threatening conditions such as heatstroke was broad across the majority of respondents. Here, 85% said that wearing loose fitting light coloured and lightweight clothing would help, alongside applying sun protection to skin (79%), taking regular breaks in the shade (74%), and drinking plenty of fluids (38%).
Employers doing their bit
Encouragingly, 68% of those polled said their employers regularly communicated with them about the topic. However, nearly a fifth (18%) said that the issue had never been discussed at their place of work, highlighting work still needs to be done to help keep outdoor workers safe.
Heat protection giveaways from Marley
As summer 2024 begins, Marley continues to reinforce the important message that all outdoor roofing and construction workers should proactively protect themselves from heat-related conditions such as heatstroke and sunburn.
To help spread the cover-up and keep safe lesson, Marley is giving away a limited number of branded t-shirts alongside a branded cooling towel to keep the nation’s outdoor workers cool.
Annabelle Brayford, Group Head of Safety, Health and Environment for Marley, comments: “In these health-conscious times, the importance of taking outdoor working conditions seriously is more relevant than ever. Climate change means summers are set to get hotter, and we urge outdoor workers to protect themselves by taking a few simple measures and ensure they can continue to work safely. Our survey makes for welcome reading, with many workers and employers taking care to protect themselves and their staff, but we need to continue to remind all who could be in danger. We are committed to supporting the construction industry so that workers are fully aware of the risks and the simple things they can do to mitigate them.”
The signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke listed on nhs.uk include:
- tiredness
- dizziness
- headache
- feeling sick or being sick
- excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, but a change in skin colour can be harder to see on brown and black skin
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- fast breathing or heartbeat
- a high temperature
- being very thirsty
- weakness
The Health and Safety Executive gives the following advice for companies whose employees work in hot environments:
- Reschedule work to cooler times of the day
- Provide more frequent rest breaks and introduce shading to rest areas
- Provide free access to cool drinking water
- Introduce shading in areas where people are working
- Encourage workers to remove personal protective equipment when resting to help encourage heat loss
- Make sure workers can recognise the early symptoms of heat stress
For more information about the ‘Safe in the Sun’ campaign visit https://www.marley.co.uk/safeinthesun
