Work summer safety tips to share with your team in 2024

From dehydration to fatigue, intense heat can cause a variety of health issues. And with increased chance of illness also comes and increased risk of workplace accidents. But following these summer safety tips at work should help your team avoid incidents.

Summer attire and grooming tips

One of the best things workers can do to prevent heat illness during the summer is to dress appropriately. This means coming to work with multiple options in case temperatures rise or fall.

As an employer, it’s your job to create safe working conditions. This means you may have to enforce specific attire and grooming standards during the hot months. Here are some related tips for summer safety that you can share with your employees:

• Wear lightweight fabrics for better ventilation.
• Keep long hair pulled back, away from the face and neck.
• Choose light-colored clothing to keep cool.
• Wear sunglasses in direct sunlight.
• Layer clothing so you can easily remove items if you get too hot.
• Apply a base level of sunscreen before starting work and reapply regularly.
• Bring a hat or other type of head covering to protect your scalp in the sun.

It’s important that everyone knows the required PPE for their tasks. Do you have any PPE requirements specific to the summer? If so, make sure you communicate those requirements so workers can prepare adequately.

Safe work behaviors in the summer

The other major factor that impacts summer safety is employee behaviors. You need to ensure that your team develops good safety practices to account for heat safety hazards and other variables during the summer months.

Check out this list of safety behaviors you might want your employees to follow:

• Keep a spare water bottle in your car, bag, or locker so you’re never without water.
• Always check the weather before work and pack accordingly.
• Limit the amount of caffeine and sugar you ingest to avoid headaches and fatigue.
• Prioritize staying hydrated throughout your shift—especially in extreme temperatures.
• Take regular breaks in shaded areas, bringing portable fans to the worksite if necessary.
• Reduce your exposure by staying out of the sun during peak hours (if possible).
• Eat hydrating snacks like cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, and oranges.
• Bring an extra set of clothing and socks to prevent blisters and chafing.

Setting employees up for success

Creating a safe work environment is every company’s responsibility. This means adjusting operational goals and practices when the weather is potentially harmful to employee health.

You can do this by investing in equipment, creating policies, and performing routine tasks that support safe working conditions. Here are some tips for encouraging summer safety at work:

• Perform a job hazard analysis for outdoor jobs to find heat safety hazards.
• Invest in equipment like fans, tents, and generators to keep workers cool and dry.
• If possible, keep workers out of the heat during the hottest times of the day.
• Schedule extra breaks when temperatures are high to avoid heat exhaustion.
• Schedule preventative maintenance on fans, the HVAC system, etc.
• Set up extra hydration stations for outdoor worksites so no one gets dehydrated.
• Consider providing workers with complementary snacks and beverages.
• Create a first aid station where workers can go if they’re not feeling well.
• Stock up on hydration popsicles, emergency water, etc.

You also need to preach personal safety and situational awareness every day to your workers. It’s largely up to them to report symptoms of heat illness. Sharing these summer safety tips and implementing preventative measures will go a long way in reducing incident rates during even the hottest months of the year.