The adverse weather effects on farming – heat and sun

It is a fact of most of all agricultural and construction workthat it needs to be done, irrespective of whether conditions. Whilst this is true for most businesses, agriculture and construction face special problems because the majority of the work is done outside, and therefore needs to be adapted to whatever measures are necessary to be able to carry on with the work irrespective of extreme weather.

Heat and the sun are a potential major health risk to employees in all types of farming, constructionand agricultural work if proper precautions are not taken to ensure the health and safety of contractors and staff.

If proper precautions are not taken, in the context of extreme heat and continual sunshine, the main risks to any employee include skin cancer, heatstroke, damage to someone's vision and the risk of dehydration.

One additional problem when considering these issues, is the reality that most people who work in the construction and farming/agricultural industries tend to be men, and the work is often treated in quite a macho fashion.

In reality this means that employees may be less willing to take precautions when working in extreme heat or sunshine, not because they do not understand risk, but because they think they have an obligation to look strong, and taking certain precautions could make them look weak.

This can be overcome by the employer laying down or stipulating certain conditions of employment, which can include taking certain precautions against the risks of extreme heat, sunstroke and dehydration.

The risk of skin cancer is perhaps one of the greatest risks facing people who spend a lot of time in direct sunlight. More facts should be sought out from the American Cancer Society, but in general skin cancer is developed over a period of time and continue exposure to the rays of the sun, rather than as a one-off incident.

This puts construction and agriculture workers at more risk, as they will spend many days working under these types of conditions.

One of the main ways to prevent skin cancer is to make sure that all the possible areas of the skin are protected from direct sunlight. This often goes against a certain type of logic that means that when it is really hot, people will want to wear as little clothing as possible, often something like shorts and T-shirts.

For construction and agriculture workers this can be a serious mistake. They need to wear items of clothing such as longsleeve shirts, long trousers, and sadly some type of hat that covers the broad area of their head.

Whilst most people who work in construction 10 to a hard hat, this may not be sufficient in terms of extreme heat, and they may need to wear a hat with a wide brim.

It is also highly recommended that people who spend a lot of time in the sun use some type of sunscreen cream. This should be applied to all areas of the body that are unprotected by the clothing that is being worn.

The sunscreen should be an additional protective measure, and should not be seen as an alternative to clothes that cover the entire length of the body. Both of these measures are probably the most effective defence against skin cancer, but additional measures may be needed depending upon the type of work and the risk of long exposure to periods of sunlight.

These additional measures can sometimes include things such as the use of an umbrella, or some type of temporary roof covering, especially on certain agricultural machines such as tractors which may have a roll bar that no additional roof.

The other main piece of protective equipment that is often recommended as protection for people to use and understand, that of sunglasses. People on the whole are quite open to the idea of wearing sunglasses when there is a lot of daylight or sunlight around, and this can be easily incorporated into the nature of their work.

Where an employer can make a difference is in making sure that employees understand that the most effective types of sunglasses are those which have strong capability to block or absorb UV radiation.

This should be taken into account in buying a pair of sunglasses, or if an employer is so minded he can supply them to his staff, thereby ensuring that they have the correct type.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a real problem for most people in all walks of life, many people do not drink enough water during the day, but can become a real health concern for construction and agriculture workers who are exposed to a loss of sunlight on a daily/weekly basis.

The real danger of dehydration is that the body slowly ceases to function as it should, and overcompensates in areas causinga gradual shutdown of the various bodily systems.

Dehydration can be easily done with if preventative measures are taken properly, making sure that people eat properly and drink plenty of fluids during the day. This is something that often needs to be actively encouraged by the employer, and one of the best ways is by constant reminders during the day.

Some companies have set up computer systems that will send a number of texts to their employees during the day, reminding them of the need to drink plenty of fluids and be on the lookout for any signs of fatigue or undue tiredness.