Feeling Hot Hot Hot !!!

[Emjem]

For once i am glad i'm inside hehehe!!![8D]

[kevin wooldridge]

Has anyone in the field this week experienced difficulties in getting sun cream and/or drinking water supplied by their employer?

I am collecting tales from the sun-drenched trenches for an article on the potential dangers to archaeologists of over-exposure to sun, including cases of sun-stroke, dehydration etc.

Anyone who wants to contact me off-piste rather than post a reply to this topic can do so at kevinwool@yahoo.com. Confidences respected, names changed to protect the innocent etc etc

Ta

[BAJR Host]

My humble pronouncement is this

a) you should not need sunscreen that much as you should be coverd up.. if you want a tan, go to the beach... working in the sun is serious stuff.. (I know from my times in the middle east) and covering up is the only and best precaution. (PLUS - like providing asprin, it is not good to provide chemical rich gloop to workers, where it might give increased risk of skin cancer) Wear a HAT...

b) Water is essential.. I feel that if a company expects its workers to operate in heat, it should as a matter of course, provide the means to do so... and so, a minimum of 2-3 litres of water should be available to each member of staff... if ther is no mains water, then separate provision should be made. No point in having your workforce collapse from heat stroke -

I once worked in 50 deg heat in JOrdan... lasted about 12 minutes... woke up in bed.. was off work for 3 days!... so I learned quick (but not quick enough)

Drink water.... wear a hat, and cover up... and never ever try and mix alchohol with sun... you only make dehydration worse.

Another day another WSI?

[voice of reason]

We don't provide sunscreen on professional H and S advice - combination of reasons include - potential allergic reactions, provision of an awful mix of chemicals for topical application (seriously would you put any of the ingredients on your skin if they didn't come in a cocktail in a pretty yellow bottle?) and the main reason - if your skin is burning, it is telling you something - cover up and don't use sunscreen as an excuse to stay in the sun longer.

Make sure you drink the water though. And wear the hat (and ditching the hard hat because it is hot doesn't cut much ice with H and S either)

[beamo]

Provision of cold drinking water to employees is an absolute requirement under H & S legislation. If your employer is not providing it (mains water taken to site in clean jerrycans, bottled water, etc) then contact the HSE.


Beamo

[troll]

Sound advice.Just a quickie- if a unit does or indeed is, legally required to provide sunscreen, dont you feel that it would be better to bring yer own-one that you know works for you and more importantly-was`nt chosen on the basis of competative price and compliance with the minimum? Buy yer own peeps.[8D]Has any unit thought about down time during the midday couldren and later working hours when its cooler?Thoughts anyone?Works well in the hot places!

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[Orkynowot]

Was so hot today down here it was unbelievable suprised my hard hat didnt melt onto my head, fortunatley we have sunscreen and running water hot and cold, we are allowed to stop when we get too hot as our supervisor doesnt want us collapsing and neither do I want to.

On the subject of hard hats do they make broad brimmed ones?



May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.

[kevin wooldridge]

I have been chasing down sun suitable PPE and have come across the Australian Attach a Flap (it's true!!)

http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/e2/0c01b6e2.asp

[tom wilson]

There was a digger at MoLAS who had a rice paddy worker style hard hat, all safety approved of course.
Depending who you work for, one might also consider the Stetson hard hat, very popular in America where they have different ideas about cowboys.

[Pedant]

My employers are providing bottled water and have a policy of regular water-and-shade breaks. They have looked into the sunscreen issue, but personally I'm a firm believer in wearing long sleeves and long trousers (desert camo) It is apparently difficult (if not impossible) to get a bulk order of sunscreen at a higher factor than 15, and the minimum provided should be 30. Apparently - tho someone else may know better...[?]

You can always tell a Brummie... but you can't tell him much