May 7-11 is National Construction Safety and Fall Protection Week! As the weather is warming up, there are extra safety precautions to think about when being outside in extreme temperatures.

Prolonged or intense exposure to hot temperatures can cause heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke (also known as sun stroke).

As your body works to cool itself under extreme or prolonged heat, blood rushes to the surface of your skin. As a result, less blood reaches your brain, muscles, and other organs. This can interfere with both your physical strength and your mental capacity, leading, in some cases, to serious danger.

Additional tips include:

• Use sunscreen on all extremities (neck, ears, face, arms, etc.)
• Guard against pests, (ticks, fleas, mosquitos) using insect repellent such as DEET
• Wear light colored long sleeves and tuck pant legs into boots
• Hydrate with water or sports type drinks
• Avoid alcohol, high sugar drinks and caffeine

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. It requires a team effort and safety for employees is a prime concern. The Shiel Sexton Safety Department will be holding a safety training class, Fall Protection Core 9, this Wednesday, May 9th from 3-4:30pm in the main office training room.