BACKGROUND:
Exposure to excessive heat increases the chance of heat stress and presents a risk to employee health. Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to maintain a safe body temperature due to external stress. Heat stress can lead to injury and illness. As temperatures increase, productivity decreases due to physiological limitations that lead to increased errors and fatigue. Unconditioned facilities in warm and temperate climates are particularly prone to these conditions. In order to mitigate the impact of heat stress and productivity loss, employers often compensate with increased break time and experience costly employee turnover. The combination of HVLS fans and evaporative coolers can be used as a cost-effective solution to reduce the number of uncomfortable hours in a facility and in turn reduce productivity loss; creating a safer work environment.
