Finally, the British Summer has arrived with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees celcius! Whilst most other professions benefit from very accommodating, air conditioned offices, if you work in construction, it’s likely that you’re not so lucky.
Construction sites are places that are often very exposed to the sun, lacking any kind of natural shade. Therefore, it is vital that you take on board the following to ensure your safety working on a construction site during the summer.
Regularly apply sun-lotion
Come on now, this one should be obvious, especially if you have a pale complexion. Applying sun cream at regular intervals (every two hours or so), is important so that your body can repel the UV rays emitted from the sun. If you don’t do this your body will overheat very quickly and you will increase the likelihood of sun stroke tenfold!
Taking regular breaks from working in the sun is also very important, so make sure you set time aside every couple of hours to apply sun-cream.
Water, water, water
Energy drinks and soft drinks are popular beverages within the construction industry, however these products provide little in the way of hydration. Water is your friend, and especially due to the physical nature of your work, is vital to your body’s performance and overall health. If you’re working in construction in the height of summer, you should really be aiming to consume more than 2 litres of water per day at the very least!
Bigger breakfast, Nutritious foods
Whoever came up with the phrase ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ certainly wasn’t kidding… Having a large, nutritious breakfast consisting of low sugar/fat cereal, scrambled eggs, and fruit will kick-off your day in the best way possible, and will ensure that your body still has enough fuel by the time you reach your lunch break.
When you do take lunch, eat food that is low in unsaturated fat and preservatives. You don’t want your body to be processing high-calorie foods when working in these conditions. Instead choose lean high protein foods (i.e chicken or turkey), as well as foods rich in vitamins (i.e salad).
Look out for your colleagues
And finally, as a part of a construction team, you should all be looking out for each other. Learn what the early signs of heat stroke are and keep a watch out for any colleagues who might be showing these signs as they work.
Actively practicing these suggestions will help ensure that you stay safe during these summer months. If you have any further suggestions, we'd love to hear them.
