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Safety

Cooling on a Global Scale

Global temperatures have been rising steadily for a long time, but the rate of increase over the past few decades has been particularly high. In fact, the World Meteorological Organization listed the year 2020 as the second warmest on record, rivalling 2016 for the top spot. According to the European Environment Agency, the global mean…

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5 Ways to Avoid Heat-Related Illness on Your Farm

Summer is approaching rapidly. Temperatures on your farm will be getting very hot soon, and it’s crucial that you take the steps necessary to help your farmworkers avoid heat-related illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fatalities from heat-related illness are 20 times higher among farmworkers than the rest of the…

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Athletes in the Heat

Keeping Your Athletes Safe in the Summer Heat Whether you were born in a state that experiences extreme heat or you’ve recently moved, you likely know that high temperatures can be uncomfortable at best – and deadly at worst. This is particularly true for athletes who may be practicing and playing outdoor sports in the…

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OSHA Safe & Sound Week 2020 – August 10-16

  This week is Safe + Sound Week, a nationwide event held each August and sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA). Its aim is to highlight successful safety and health programs as a measure to “proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom…

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Utilizing Portacool Evaporative Coolers as PPE to Combat Heat

When we think of traditional personal protective equipment or PPE, we can find a full list of materials that provide safety for workers that quite literally cover them from head to toe. Items such as hard hats, safety goggles, gloves, and shoe covers are common safety gear for many jobs, but when it comes to…

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State-Specific OSHA Regulations

  Last week, we focused on Cal/OSHA heat regulations but mentioned a few other U.S. states that also have government regulations in place. Washington is one of those states. In 2008, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) filed a permanent workplace rule to protect employees from outdoor heat exposure. This rule was…

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Cal/OSHA Regulations

  As employers delve into determining what rules must be followed when it comes to heat safety protection and mitigation for their workers, it can be helpful to look to the most stringent guidelines as a guide. Beyond the national standard and education provided by OSHA, the agency website also notes states that have set…

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Europe’s Approach to Heat Stress & Worker Safety – Overview

  Portacool, LLC is a global company, selling to distributors in more than 56 countries worldwide, including a number of European countries. No stranger to heat, Europe experienced record setting temperatures last year in many of its countries as noted in this New York Times article from July 2019. One area of France even reached…

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Cal/OSHA code & compliance rules to address now for outdoor workers

  June is National Safety Month, as deemed by the National Safety Council. Nationally, worker safety and health on the job is advocated through the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration – OSHA. In addition to OSHA regulations, further worker protection is provided by individual state regulatory agencies. In California, that agency is…

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Military – Heat Affects Those Who Sacrifice for Our Country

  May is National Military Appreciation Month as declared by Congress back in 1999. It is a time for all of us to observe and honor the sacrifices of the United States Armed Forces – both those currently serving and those who have served. Among their sacrifices of comfort, one condition that has begun to…

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