Posted By CRN Baker I have been following the threads on heat over the last few days and now find I need some advice. We have two employees who work outside. We have provided them with information (the HSE pamphlet), advised them on taking breaks in the shade, drinking plenty of water, factor 50 sunscreen etc. but the heat around here must be well over 30 degrees C. Appreciate our colleagues in the Middle East have it hotter, but does anyone have any suggestions as to anything else I can do to make things bearable?

Posted By CRN Baker Not really, we're in distribution and it's a 24/7 operation, they start at 07:00 and finish at around 16:00, mainly repairing any vehicles which have been damaged and general mechanic jobs like fixing bulbs etc. The vehicles start coming back just before seven and any stragglers are usually home by three.

Posted By Tabs As you have already looked at the moderate, I thought I would raise a couple of less-conventional, but maybe available alternatives: In Malaysia, they have large standing fans with a water spray - are they available over here yet I wonder? David Coulthard was wearing a vest (looked a little like a bullet-proof vest) with compartments holding coolpacks at Magny-Cours ... extreme but I bet it worked for him. A gazeebo as Merv suggested with water playing on the top is even more effective - but Seven Trent will send out the heavies ...

Posted By Charley Farley-Trelawney Only asking the question; does factor 50 block the pores? If so then how does the body cool down? Sweating is a natural way of the body attempting to cool down. Just wondered? CFT

Posted By Rob T hi I suppose the British way would be a pith helmet and an ice cold G&T at regular intervals (mad dogs etc) however on a more practical note - I found a floppy hat in one of those big travel stores (like a much bigger version of Millets but I can't remember it's name - it would probably be considered adfvertising anyway!) which had crystals contained in the inner rim. You just wet the rim with water and it keeps cool for quite a while and you just keep soaking them when it wears off. I'm using it in the Arabian Empty quarter at the moment and I can certainly feel the benefit. The other point is the shade - we build gazebo type appendages to our vehicles (to stop the locals shading/sleeping under the lorries) but in the UK it must be pretty easy to supply some sort of parasol type system. Other than that cool (not cold) water and lot's of it but do remember that too much water can drain the body of vital elements so eat as well! I hope this helps Rob

Posted By Robert Weiland We are having similar problems, vehicle loaders in distribution are suffering due to loading in boxes which are hot. They spend up to 90 minutes loading fibre top roof boxes with furniture and are suffering. We have thought about allowing fans but can't really see them doing that much good due to length of boxes. So far we are allowing drinks and given them sprays to cool down but would like any other ideas ?

Posted By Adrian Watson Set up an appropriate work-rest regime. Allow then to work for 30 min & then rest for 15. Provide a cool rest area for the break times with plenty of cool water to drink & provide salted crisps, nuts etc. Regards Adrian Watson

Posted By Matt Wright It seems that people are providing the sun screen to their workers. Has anyone had any issues with allergies etc? I was looking at providing the stuff but people here have told our sub-contractors to provide it themselves to avoid us getting anything coming back on us when someone has a reaction (and we don't have to pay for it!!) I see that the risk is greater from not supplying it than supplying it.

Posted By CRN Baker Thanks to Glyn for the wet hat idea, I'm just off to get new lightweight caps for the lads. With regards the sunscreen, these are our employees so we have a direct duty of care. Any contractors would be expected to make their own decision regarding their staff, although we make no secret of what the provision is for our own staff. We did discuss with the mechanics before purchasing the sunscreen as to any known allergies etc. and tried to make sure that hypo-allergenic product was bought. Just an observation, an interviewee on the radio last night was making the point that sunscreen should be applied as a "film" rather than rubbed into the skin for best effectiveness. I will be double-checking that they've got that bit right when I issue the caps!

Posted By Darren J Fraser Hi all We have a weird way of keeping cool at home, but believe me it works, take an empty 2 litre bottle (coke, lemonade etc) and fill 4/5 ths of the way with water. Place in the freezer to create a giant ice cube basically. Once frozen place in front of a fan with the top off. The fan pushes air over the top of the bottle and collects the cooler air to generate a cooling draft effect. Same principle as a AC / humidifer unit, just a damn site cheaper (no we are not tight, just did not think to buy a unit before the heat shot up and the prices rose accordingly). It may seem a bit heath robinson but it does work quite well in a room, may not be as effective in a larger area. As already stated, I would look at providing shade, rotating workload if at all possible, providing more frequent breaks, hats, sunblock and most importantly cold / cool water, possibly by doing the above but giving to the team to drink out of, thereby staying cooler for longer. If it is a workable solution and everyone was in agreement, I would also look at the team starting earlier or later, or at the very least minimise work outside between 11am and 3pm (recognised as the hottest part of any day). Darren