Regardless of whether you love or hate Florida’s hot and humid summers, they’re a fact of life and a small price to pay for living in paradise. For most people, the answer is as simple as cooling off in the air conditioning or taking a dip in the pool. But for people who work outside, which is roughly 2 million people in the state, high temperatures are unavoidable and potentially even dangerous.
Risk factors like high humidity, heavy physical activity, lack of acclimatization, and wearing clothing that holds heat complicate matters even more. Heat-related illnesses are not something to take lightly, and response time is a critical factor.
Cramps, nausea, and dizziness mean heat exhaustion has already set in. Doctors say if you hit that point, immediately stop working and get your core temperature down by moving to the shade, drinking plenty of fluids, or wrapping a wet towel around your neck. Unfortunately, many outdoor workers keep working through those symptoms and make it worse. According to the CDC, failure to get body temperature down can lead to heat stroke, which is marked by mental confusion, disorientation, slurred speech, or loss of consciousness. At that point, immediate medical treatment is needed.
The key is to take steps to avoid ever reaching the point of heat exhaustion. In addition to the common advice of wearing hats and sunscreen and continuous hydration, here are some additional tips for outdoor workers.
- Mind the pulse points: Placing cooling towels around the neck, wrists, and inside of the elbows can help to cool blood circulating near the skin’s surface. Plus, you can rewet them throughout the day for continued relief.
- Freeze water bottles overnight: Bottles that are frozen solid will give workers cold water in the peak hours of the afternoon as they melt.
- Reallocate work: If possible, adjust your schedule so you work on the harder, more strenuous tasks in the cooler early morning hours.
- Wear moisture-wicking sun-protective clothing: Be smart about the material of the clothing you wear. Although a bit counterintuitive, lightweight long-sleeve shirts can be cooler than short sleeves because they block direct sunlight while allowing sweat to evaporate.
While there are plenty of gimmicky products available that promise to help keep people cool outdoors, there are some that actually offer substantial relief. Vests with battery-operated fans, collars of fans that go around the neck, and hats with fans in the brim are just a few tried and true products popular among outdoor workers.