As temperatures continue to reach record levels on a daily basis, heat exhaustion continues to be a serious concern for many companies; however, it doesn’t take record breaking temps to lead to heat stress. In fact, heat stress, a condition where the body is unable to maintain a healthy temperature, begins to have an effect on worker productivity with temperatures as low as 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

When combined with the fact that most people start the day in a dehydrated state (an estimated 80 percent of the U.S. population), heat stress has become a major contributing factor in preventable accidents and work-related injury.

A performance study by NASA using telegraph key operators produced the following results:
– At 80 degrees F, operators made up to five errors in an hour and 19 errors in three hours.
– At 90 degrees F, operators made up to nine errors in an hour and 27 errors in three hours.
– At 95 degrees F, errors went up to 60 in one hour and 138 in three hours.

Although errors made by telegraph key operators may not be critical, employees exposed to similar heat levels will produce a proportional amount of errors, regardless of the task. Another study by Gopinthan et al. focused on mental performance and the effects of dehydration on the decision-making process and its connection to an increase in work-related accidents. The study concluded that a 2 percent dehydration level due to heat stress impaired visual motor tracking, short-term memory and arithmetic efficiency, thus reducing an employee’s ability to focus attention. In the
extreme, a 4 percent dehydration level resulted in a 23 percent reduction in reaction time.

“Fortunately, the effects of heat stress can be effectively countered with proper hydration and the use of personal cooling products” stated Tom Matun, CEO of Powder Mix Direct. “That’s why we’re excited about the addition of the latest in evaporative cooling technologies from Ergodyne. Starting at just $1.87, their Chill-It’s line of affordable cooling bandanas, towels and vests are designed to beat the heat, while increasing productivity and decreasing work-related injuries.”
To learn more visit www.PowderMixDirect.com or call us at 877-464-4286.

Powder Mix Direct is a division of Midpoint Enterprises and has been a national distributor of Gatorade and Sqwincher electrolyte drink mixes and concentrates since 2009. We pride ourselves in the thousands of business relationships that we’ve made with companies both large and small. We know what it takes to exceed expectations; that’s why our customer list includes companies like the Home Depot, Disney, the Salvation Army and the US Forest Service.

Sources:
https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2010/05/01/How-Heat-Stress-Affects-Performance.aspx
https://www.azevap.com/workAreaTempProductivity.php