Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As temperatures continue to rise across the country, it is important for landscape companies to take proper precautions while working in the heat of summer. Heat-related illnesses are very much preventable if the proper safety steps are in place.

First, companies must implement a heat illness prevention plan and comply with local, state and federal regulations to ensure employees remain safe while working in heat.

One of the most common symptoms of heat illness is dehydration. When employees are out working in hot conditions, it is imperative the crew leader or supervisor makes the crew take regular breaks to get properly hydrated. Even if employees say they are not thirsty, a supervisor needs to insist they have some water. By the time a person feels thirsty, they’re already dehydrated. Remembering to schedule breaks throughout the work day can have a positive impact on controlling heat-related illnesses.

Another way landscape companies are staying safe as the weather heats up is to make sure they are acclimatizing their employees. This is especially important for all new hires. The best way to acclimatize these employees is to gradually increase the amount of work they are doing over a 14-day period when temperatures start to heat up. By doing this, you are allowing employees’ bodies to get used to working in such hot conditions, and thus, lowering the chances of having any heat-related illnesses.

To beat the heat, landscape companies can implement alternative schedules that allow employees to start their work day earlier. If a crew normally gets out to a job site at 8 a.m., the alternative schedule would send the crew out an hour earlier, during the hot months. This allows more work to be done earlier in the morning when temperatures have not reached the daily high. This also allows crews to get done with work an hour earlier, thus getting employees off job sites when temperatures are at their highest.

These are just some examples of how landscape companies are doing their best to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Heat illness prevention is just one of the topics available in Rancho Mesa’s RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program . Clients are encouraged to complete the course and implement a Heat Illness Prevention Plan that complies with OSHA standards.