Visqueen, the market leader in the manufacture and supply of structural waterproofing and gas protection systems has announced a number of new roles for its team as part of its 2018 strategy that will further enhance the company’s range of services to the construction and building sectors. Under its new ‘The Difference is Visqueen’ campaign, the appointments underline and support Visqueen’s strong relationships with customers, contractors and builders’ merchants.

Phil Bull is now General Manager for the Visqueen construction business and will lead the business in its drive to increase sales across both structural waterproofing and gas protection systems.

Laura Guy takes on the role of National Sales Manager, responsible for all Builders Merchants sales. Laura will work with both the Technical and Commercial teams in order to best facilitate strong relationships as Visqueen moves forward.

Additionally, James Walsh becomes Regional Manager for the North including Scotland and Tony Goode is Regional Manager for the South, with both reporting to Nik Ullfors, Visqueen’s National Technical Manager. Lucinda Holmes is also promoted to Marketing Communications Manager and will provide marketing support across Visqueen’s construction business.

‘The Difference is Visqueen’ campaign will highlight Visqueen’s developing range of solutions for the construction industry, providing not just market leading products but also delivering a comprehensive variety of services including the new Visqueen Training Academy, fostering strong relationships with builder’s merchants as part of Specialist Centres and supporting design in construction projects through the Special Projects service.

“With our new business structure, we are ideally positioned to build on our strengths both as a market leader in waterproofing and gas protection and as a company that is focused on delivering for all its stakeholders” said Phil Bull.

“Our new team is ideally positioned to show that when it comes to providing solutions for the construction trade – ‘The Difference Is Visqueen”.

For more information please visit www.visqueen.com.

Pigglefairy Puppies, based near Kings Lynn, is a council-licenced breeder of Kennel Club registered miniature Dachshunds. The kennel where the dogs slept was five years old, and was starting to look tired. It needed a refit, and owner Debbie Casemore wanted a solution that would not stress the dogs. She also needed a quick turnaround to make sure the dogs were able to return to the kennel quickly.

Debbie said: “I wanted the best for the dogs, and hygiene is so important for their welfare. I wanted an easy to clean floor and wall solution that would have no edges or crevices for the dogs to chew on. It also had to be quick to fit so the dogs could go back to their routine.”

Altro Cantata™ was chosen to provide an easy to clean floor that would be quick to install. Altro Cantata is installed without adhesive, which is a benefit when adhesive smells can cause stress. Altro Whiterock™ Satins in ‘Fawn’ was chosen as an easy to maintain and hygienic solution that looked good.

Debbie continued: “The colours of Altro Cantata and Altro Whiterock Satins are nice and neutral, and look really professional and clean.”

Altro Cantata and Altro Whiterock Satins were installed by Simon Johnson at Simply Interiors. Simon said: “Since Altro adhesive-free floors were launched, it now makes up approximately 80% of our safety flooring jobs. The speed for clients and us has proved invaluable! Altro Cantata is a great addition to the range.”

Altro Cantata is a decorative, adhesive-free floor that creates maximum impact with minimum downtime. Using Altro’s award-winning adhesive-free installation method, it can be welded and walked on the same day, and at the end of its life can be removed easily, allowing it to be reused or recycled. It is ideal for busy public spaces where disruption needs to be minimal, plus there are no associated adhesive odours. Altro Cantata’s 16 soft-look shades, which range from subtle naturals to beautifully vivid, enable you to set the desired tone yet it also has the durability needed for medium to high traffic areas.

Altro Whiterock Satins provides a stain-resistant, wipeclean surface. Available in a range of solid, satin-finish shades – from subtle pastels through to vivid brights – Altro Whiterock Satins can be used where aesthetics are important.

For more information please visit www.altro.co.uk.

ROCKWOOL® and Rockpanel® have joined forces in developing a high performance, fire resilient cladding project which has transformed three high-rise residential towers for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

The Challenge

The Crofts in Smethwick consists of 270 homes within Ashcroft, Birchcroft and Elmcroft houses.

This development is located on a major arterial route into the city of Birmingham within a district that ranked 12th out of 326 in terms of deprivation in a 2010 study of the country. The three tower blocks, originally constructed in the 1960s, were in universally poor condition, showing signs of major wear and tear to the building fabric, windows, roofing and balconies. In the absence of any wall insulation, they were also proving very difficult to heat and especially challenging to keep warm for those tenants living in fuel poverty.

Refurbishment at The Crofts also offered an opportunity for Sandwell Council to rejuvenate not just these high-rise homes but also the wider area as they sought to bring a renewed sense of pride in their surroundings to residents and the local community.

The Solution

This two year, £11 million project for contractor, Keepmoat Regeneration, has involved a dramatic, top-to-bottom renovation of each tower at The Crofts.

Substantial improvements have included flat-to-pitched roof conversions with solar panel installations, new windows and striking new balcony enclosures, redecorated communal areas, asbestos removal and the installation of a highly efficient, aesthetically attractive and non-combustible insulated cladding solution supplied by sister brands, ROCKWOOL® and Rockpanel.

ROCKWOOL’s RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® is the non-combustible dual density insulation board fitted at The Crofts. It offers a robust outer surface and a resilient inner face designed specifically for application to this type of high rise development. Made from stone wool, RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® is A1 fire rated for optimum fire resilience. It also has the benefit of high resistance to wind and rain during construction, which, together with the minimal number of fixings required, makes installation quicker and easier for contractors. At The Crofts, the product has been tightly butt jointed, knitting together to deliver effective thermal insulation at 0.035 W/mK at the same time as it minimises any heat loss that could arise from gaps between insulation boards.

For the exterior cladding the extra fire safe façade board Rockpanel FS-Xtra has been used to provide the attractive aesthetic finish on the project. Applied on top of an aluminium supporting structure and fixed with blind rivets, these Rockpanel ‘FS-Xtra’ boards, in combination with ROCKWOOL’s RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB®, meet the requirements for European fire classA2-s1,d0. The boards also weigh very little compared to other board materials and can be easily worked with on site, with no special tools required. This saves installation time and costs. Installed on this project by Astley Facades, Rockpanel FS-Xtra boards are available in a wide range of different finishes and colours. A mixture of vibrant Rockpanel Colours, such as RAL 3009 and 5011, has been supplied at The Crofts.

The Result

“We’re extremely proud of the work we have been able to do here at The Crofts,” said a spokesperson from Sandwell Council. “These improvements have made a massive impact on both the internal and external appearance of the blocks, as well as the local skyline. And, the much improved insulation offered by the eye-catching cladding will help reduce fuel bills for tenants.”

A huge uplift in energy performance will result from these improvements. In fact, Sandwell Council estimates that, in total, approximately 9,600 tonnes of carbon will be saved every year.

The Crofts has picked up two awards for corporate social responsibility, including a Bronze in the 2015 International Corporate Social Responsibility Awards and a first prize in the Delivering Social Value category at the 2016 National Federation of Builders Awards.

Ultimately, the project has made a significant impact in the local community. These three tower blocks are not merely visibly transformed, they are more energy efficient residences and they are also beacons of hope for tenants and the community of Smethwick.

For more information please visit www.rockwool.co.uk and www.rockpanel.co.uk.

A £45 million cash injection into key community projects will help kick-start the building of thousands of new homes, Housing Minister Dominic Raab has announced.

As part of government’s drive to get Britain building homes again, a total of 79 projects from Newcastle to Plymouth will receive funding to support building up to 7,280 homes on council owned land.

To support local councils to meet their ambition to unlock enough of land they own for at least 160,000 homes by 2020, they will be able to use the Land Release Fund money to combat barriers which would otherwise make land unusable for development.

The projects – which aim to support building strong communities – include a range of necessary works such as asbestos removal and bat alleviation, as well as schemes that will significantly improve quality of life such as essential relocating of a pelican crossing.

This move comes 2 weeks after the projects set to benefit from the first wave of funding from the £5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund were announced, helping to get up to 200,000 homes off the ground through investment in local housing projects. This is part of the government’s comprehensive strategy of planning reform and targeted investment to build 300,000 homes a year.

Housing and Planning Minister Dominic Raab said “We are investing £45 million to build roads and provide utilities, so councils can release the land to get up to 7,280 new homes built.

“It’s part of our strategy to build the homes Britain needs, and carry local communities with us.

“We’re determined to make buying or renting more affordable for young families and those on low or middle incomes.”

Evinox Energy has launched a new CIBSE accredited CPD seminar following the introduction of the first UK test standard for Heat Interface Units from BESA (British Engineering Services Association).

This new standard is regarded as an important step towards improving the overall performance of British district heating schemes and its key objective is to enable the performance of different HIUs to be evaluated within the context of typical UK operating conditions. Thereby enabling heat network developers to consider the performance of specific HIUs against design requirements.

Until now, it has been a common misconception that heat interface units are “one size fits all”; results from the BESA tests show that this certainly isn’t the case for today’s modern systems – the network design and HIU specification must be closely matched to ensure optimum performance and the HIU must deliver the widest delta T and lowest return temperatures possible in all operational modes.

The Evinox seminar explores all aspects of the test regime and discusses how for the first time, designers and specifiers will be able to see the impact of a specific HIU on their network. Entitled “Understanding the BESA Test Standard for HIUs (VWARTS and All)”, the seminar is accredited by The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and provides credits towards consulting engineers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

This 60-minute seminar is ideal for M&E consultants or housing providers interested in finding out more about the latest standard for communal & district heating systems and can be held at client’s premises or at the Evinox Energy offices in Chessington.

Contact Evinox today to arrange a seminar on 01372 722277 or complete the contact form on the website.

The latest RIBA-approved CPD from Harmer Drainage offers in-depth insight into modern rainwater drainage systems and their importance in protecting buildings from water damage. The one hour seminar, entitled ‘Internal Rainwater Drainage – Design and Specification’, is aimed at educating architects and engineers about the importance of a well-designed drainage system.

The CPD addresses national and regional rainfall characteristics and how this affects design and product choice, as well as how to meet the British Standard requirements for gravity drainage systems.

Seminar attendees will be able to relate different roof constructions with the detailing of rainwater outlets, identify pipe materials and methods of connection, and understand the importance of robust specification in rainwater systems. Maintenance, inspections and incorporating blue and green roof systems are also covered.

The Harmer seminar forms part of RIBA’s CPD core curriculum. Architects are required to complete 20 hours CPD on these core subjects per year, plus an additional 15 hours on topics of their choice.

Harmer’s National Sales Manager Wayne Willmott who wrote the CPD says: “It’s vital for architects and engineers to dedicate time and consideration to rainwater drainage systems in order to avoid roofing failures. This CPD covers the main points to think about and ensure the right elements are in place to protect buildings from rainfall.”

Harmer Drainage, part of Alumasc Water Management Solutions (AWMS), is the UK’s leading manufacturer of metal drainage products, managing water inside and outside the building.

To book a seminar or find out more, call AWMS Marketing on 01536 383 810 or email info@alumascwms.co.uk.

For more information visit www.harmerdrainage.co.uk. Follow @HarmerDrainage

The Talasey Group is delighted to have supplied a range of its Natural Paving products to a housing development in Essex, which is being built on the site of the former Tottenham Hotspur Football Club training ground.

The new development consists of 60 houses and is situated in a leafy area of Chigwell, surrounded by fields and trees and in close proximity to the River Roding. The Talasey Group has supplied approximately 2,990 metres of its Natural Paving’s Promenade Classicstone Sandstone, which has been installed across all of the homes.

The developer, Anderson Group, has built both a school and the homes that surround it. The ambition was to create a typical Essex village plan, using different house styles to create an attractive community. Therefore it was essential that the products used on the properties were versatile and would look good across the different types of dwellings.

Speaking about the project, Mark Thurston, Procurement Manager at Anderson Group commented: “One of the biggest challenges when working on a project of this scope is the need for products that are high quality but also cost-effective. These were the criteria that led us to choosing Natural Paving products, as the stone available was a perfect fit, with remarkable texture, colour and price. We’ve been very impressed with the company’s paving solutions and look set to use them again on another upcoming job.”

Looking for a stone that would complement the green spaces of the properties’ gardens, Anderson Group eventually settled on the Promenade Classic Sandstone, which has a cool colour palette. Whilst mostly grey in hue, the flagstone can weather over time to expose brown and buff tones. It forms part of Natural Paving’s popular Classicstone collection of CE Marked and ethically sourced products that can be used to create a warm and rustic look.

Anderson Group first decided on using the sandstone paving after liaising with local builders merchants, Sliverton Aggregrates Ltd. Anderson had asked the merchants to put forward a range of sandstone choices for the development’s outdoor environment but hadn’t specified any particular colour or style. After viewing a range of choices they settled for Natural Paving goods on grounds of the product’s colour and shade.

Speaking on his role in the project, Mark Buckle, Customer Sales at Silverton Aggregrates Ltd commented “We were approached by Anderson to put forward a sandstone option for this development. Natural Paving was the third company we presented to them and they were very impressed. In fact, Anderson has specified the goods on another development.”

“Over the duration of the project, I experienced no problems working with Natural Paving, part of the Talasey Group. When necessary, the company was helpful and responsive. Late on in the development, Anderson Group changed the specification from single size stones to larger packs. It was a challenging moment and we didn’t have much time to react. Thankfully, Shaun Utting of the Talasey Group was on hand to resolve the issue. “

The aforementioned Shaun Utting, who was in charge of helping Anderson Group deliver the project commented “This is a stand-out project in a notable location and something that we’re really proud to be a part of. As we operate a merchant only sales policy, Anderson Group purchased all their products through one of our merchant partners and it’s exciting to see our customer network having the opportunity to supply such a prestigious project.”

For more information about The Talasey Group or Natural Paving Products, please visit www.talasey.co.uk and www.naturalpaving.co.uk. 

Installers, specifiers and end users’ installers have the most practical and economically viable solution for all domestic and commercial hot water heating and delivery needs in Rinnai’s comprehensive range of energy efficient A rated, electronically controlled continuous flow gas fired units and systems.

The natural gas or LPG water heaters guarantee a limitless supply of accurately temperature controlled safe and useable hot water, time after time after time to any type or size of site or application. The Rinnai range delivers energy saving performance and low greenhouse emissions through new low NOx burner technology.

All units and systems can be installed as stand-alone or manifolded to provide unlimited hot water for the largest of all commercial sites such as big hotels, busy gyms, high rise offices etc.

Water temperature is and can be pre-set through easy-to-use built in digital controls, eliminating the risk of scalding and potentially eradicating the need for thermostatic mixing valves. Water can be used simultaneously at several points of delivery with no fluctuation of temperature. The newly updated Rinnai Infinity range is designed for use directly off the mains, with no need for large, ungainly and energy inefficient storage vessels.

For example, Rinnai’s Infinity 16i continuous flow water heater is designed to meet the hot water needs of domestic and light commercial applications. The Infinity 16i, weighing just 18kg and measuring less than 675mm (H) x 139mm (W), has a delivery capacity of 15.2 litres per minute, at a temperature rise of 25°.

Rinnai Heavy Duty water heaters are high efficiency gas continuous flow water heaters with outputs up to 69kW. The Rinnai Heavy Duty HD50i Internal water heater is a wall hung, gas fired, continuous flow water heater capable of producing hot water at 770 litres per hour at a 50°C rise. The HD50i has a 125mm concentric flue which can be extended up to 15m, less 1m per 45° bend.

Compact and reliable, the HD50i operates between 1-10 bar pressure, which is suitable for mains and systems with boost pumps. Incoming water temperatures in excess of 60°C are accepted, making the HD50i suitable for secondary return systems. Water can be delivered at high volume with minimum gas consumption. All models have full electronic ignition with no pilot light and operate on demand only, consuming no gas when not in use.

All Rinnai internal HDC condensing continuous flow water heaters, are room-sealed, power flue appliances while the external weatherproof models have forced exhaust which enables them to be compact, saving both floor and wall space.

Rinnai’s unique condensing technology incorporates two heat exchangers to achieve optimum water heating generated from every cubic metre of Natural Gas or LPG. The condensing process delivers up to 95% thermal efficiency, which translates to significant energy savings when compared to standard on-demand water heaters or conventional stored systems.

For applications where the use of stored hot water cannot be avoided, i.e. in refurbishments where there may be a constraint on the amount of gas available, usually through the gas main size, Rinnai’s ‘pack’ system covers this shortfall by fitting a small amount of storage capacity.

Rinnai Gas Hot Water Storage Pack represents the best value-for-money solution on the market today with everything delivered direct to site in one complete package

The pack consists of up to five heavy duty water heaters with an equal number of flue kits (for internal heaters) or an equal number of pipe cover boxes (for external models) and sufficient valve packs. Also included is one hot water storage vessel (stainless steel 300L, 500L or 800L glass lined steel) along with necessary valves and one primary pump with valves and one unvented kit. Add to this an expansion vessel of either 50L or 80L capacity, and all relevant valves. Common header flue systems are also available to further stream line the installation.

Typical applications for the commercial ranges include cafés, nurseries, factories and offices, laundries, hotels and restaurants, sports clubs, shower blocks in caravan parks – and many more.

Rinnai has also embraced renewables in the form of the Rinnai Booster, which, it claims, is the most energy efficient boosting solution on the market today. The water heater maximises solar gain, as it only functions and consumes energy when more hot water is needed to boost the solar gain, meaning that the true impact of solar is being achieved. The rest of the time the unit is inactive.

Rinnai continuous flow hot water systems deliver on all levels in a cost effective and practical manner. Easy to install and operate the units provide a flexible and energy efficient solution for domestic applications and for all sectors of business and industry.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

Over 150,000 construction jobs are set to be created over the next five years despite Brexit uncertainty and Carillion’s collapse, a new forecast from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) reveals.

  • Infrastructure and housing best performing sectors
  • Carpenters, process managers and professional staff all in demand
  • Commercial sector could be hit by Brexit nervousness

Download the Construction Skills Network UK report for 2018 – 2022 (PDF 1.69 MB)

A massive 15,350 carpenters and 9,350 labourers will be needed as homebuilding ramps up, according to this year’s Construction Skills Network report, the UK’s most comprehensive and up-to-date sector forecast.

However, the strongest job growth will be in a range of professional and managerial roles as the industry seeks to boost its productivity, which will grow by 7.8% and 5.6% over the next five years.

The CSN forecasts average output growth of 1.3%, with 158,000 jobs created. Infrastructure remains the strongest performer with an annual growth of 3.1%. However, housing output, both public and private, is also expected to expand, by 2.8% and 2.2%, respectively. In contrast, the commercial sector is not predicted to grow at all over the next five years, as investors potentially hold back decisions due to Brexit uncertainty.

CSN figures show employment is projected to grow for the fourth consecutive year at 0.5% a year on average to 2022. This would take employment in the industry to 2.77 million in 2022, only 3% below the 2008 peak.

CITB Policy Director Steve Radley said “Despite all the gloom around Carillion and uncertainty from Brexit, our report’s message is that construction will continue to grow and create more jobs.

“Though growth is slightly down on 2017, it’s looking more balanced with housing and infrastructure both expanding significantly. And the range of job opportunities is growing. While we need to bring in lots of people in the trades, the fastest growth will be for professionals at 7.8% and for managers and supervisors at 5.6%.

“By 2022, employment will be in touching distance of the heady 2008 peak so we face a massive recruitment and training challenge, which is likely to get harder after Brexit. So while we can take some comfort from weathering the recent storms, it’s vital that we make the investment in skills today that will shape our own destiny for tomorrow.”

Nations and regions

The report reveals a mixed picture across the devolved nations and English regions. Like last year, Wales continues to perform best with output growth estimated at 4.6% per year. Scotland is likely to remain largely static at 0.1%, with housing growth mitigating a decline in infrastructure from record highs.

Wales’ forecast growth is largely attributable to major infrastructure projects including Wylfa nuclear power stations as well as a series of major road improvements such as the M4 upgrade.

In Northern Ireland, annual growth is down from last year’s 1.6% forecast to 0.5% – this is largely attributable to a slackening of the commercial sector.

In England, the North West and South West lead the growth rankings, both with 2% growth anticipated. The West Midlands is also expected to perform well with an overall average output of 1.8% over the five years. For the remainder of the English regions growth is predicted to range between 1.5% in Greater London to -0.8% in the North East.

  • Weather warning for construction sites in the UK – February freeze on its way
  • 382 deaths in the last 10 years in construction – 89 of those occurred in winter
  • Freezing weather conditions can make construction sites dangerous
  • 48% of winter construction deaths occurred as a result of falling from height
  • 24% of injuries occurred as a result of slips and trips
  • Coldest temperature ever recorded in the UK – 27.2 C

The Met office warns of a February Freeze with 90% of the UK to expect snow and plummeting temperatures. Winter weather has the potential to hit the UK hard, and can cause hazards for construction workers and others working outdoors. Whilst cold stress can have a serious impact on one’s health; wind, freezing rain and ice can make construction sites dangerous and cause an increase in site accidents and injuries.

Because of this, experts at Heat Traders have analysed data to find out how dangerous construction sites can be in the winter months and provide advice of what you can do to prevent injuries or ill health.

According to HSE data, construction is the deadliest industry to work in with 382 deaths in the last 10 years and 64,000 non-fatal injuries to workers each year.

When breaking this down by seasons 89 of those occurred within the winter months raising concerns for employee safety. Of those that died whilst working in construction in the winter months, a huge 48% (the majority) died as a result of falling from a height and 24% injured themselves as a result of slips and trips.

So how can we prevent this from happening and what are the laws regarding working outdoors in the cold?

What is the minimum legal temperature for outdoor workers?

The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992 and accompanying Approved Code of Practice set out the required temperatures for working. Indoor workplaces must be at least 16C or 13C where rigorous physical effort is required. However, the rules don’t apply “where it would be impractical to maintain those temperatures”. In other words, there is no legal minimum temperature for working outside.

The regulations recognise it can be very difficult controlling the environment or separating workers from the cold – cranking up the thermostat is not usually an option outdoors!
However, employers do have a duty of care to make sure no one works in unsafe or unhealthy conditions, including cold weather.

What is the coldest temperature ever recorded in the UK?

  1. 10-Jan-82 Braemar East Scotland -27.2 °C
  2. 30-Dec-95 Altnaharra No 2 North Scotland -27.2 °C
  3. 13-Dec-81 Shawbury Midlands -25.2 °C
  4. 13-Jan-79 Carnwath West Scotland -24.6 °C
  5. 20-Jan-84 Grantown-On-Spey East Scotland -23.6 °C
  6. 27-Jan-85 Lagganlia North Scotland -23.4 °C
  7. 13-Jan-87 Caldecott P Sta Midlands -23.3 °C
  8. 08-Jan-10 Altnaharra No 2 North Scotland -22.3 °C
  9. 18-Feb-60 Grantown-On-Spey East Scotland -22.2 °C
  10. 30-Dec-61 Cannich North Scotland -22.2 °C
  11. 18-Jan-63 Braemar East Scotland -22.2 °C

How can winter weather affect my working conditions in Construction?

Cold stress
Cold stress occurs when skin temperature plummets, causing heat to leave the body much faster than normal, and eventually reducing the internal body temperature. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur, and permanent tissue damage and death may result. Trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia are potential hazards if workers are not properly protected from the elements when working outside.

Falls
Falls are one of the most common construction site accidents and they can happen all year round. However, winter weather increases the risk of falls due to ice and wet, slippery surfaces if not treated correctly.

Winter driving accidents
Being on a construction site, it is easy to forget that winter driving rules for the road still apply. Construction vehicles aren’t usually as agile as cars because of their size and weight.

How to prevent accidents on the construction site?

Experts at Heat Traders advise you to follow these measures:

  • Educate your employees about how to work safely when the bad weather hits and what to do to prevent any accidents
  • Shield any areas that could be worst hit by the weather
  • Treat all surfaces to prevent slips and falls
  • Create warm break areas so construction workers can warm up
  • Schedule outside work to be carried out in shorter durations, ensuring employees do not have to face the elements for long periods of time
  • Layer up and use the correct gear (provided by the employer). Ensure no skin is exposed and the body is full insulated
  • Check the site regularly for any new hazards that could have been caused by the bad weather

How to prevent cold stress?

Despite their being no legal minimum temperature in the UK, employers do have a duty of care to make sure no one works in unsafe or unhealthy conditions.

Employers should follow these helpful control measures:

  • Employers should train their workers on how to recognize the environmental and workplace conditions that can lead to cold stress
  • Train employees on how to spot symptoms of cold stress and how to help those who are affected
  • Train employees on how to select proper clothing for cold, wet, and windy conditions
  • Employers must monitor workers physical condition
  • Schedule frequent short breaks in warm dry areas, to allow the body to warm up
  • Schedule work during the warmest part of the day
  • Use the buddy system (work in pairs)
  • Provide warm, sweet beverages. Avoid drinks with alcohol
  • Provide engineering controls such as radiant heaters

A spokesperson at Heat Traders said “Working outside any time of the year can be extremely dangerous. Always make sure employees are safe, helping to reduce onsite injuries or fatalities.”