About 34 workers die from heat-related illness and injury each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and a third of those deaths are in the construction sector. Effective cooling accessories can help protect workers and keep them more comfortable in extreme heat, which translates into a safer and more productive job site.
Caps and hats: Cooling caps and hats rely on water-activated evaporative cooling to keep the head comfortable, and often double as high-visibility gear and sun protection. Some options like hard hat pads are purpose-built, while skull caps and face and neck shades are often safe to wear multiple ways. Cooling wide-brim hats provide excellent sun protection when hard hats are not required, but when they are, wide brims that slide over hard hats give wearers extra shade to keep them safer.
Gaiters: Versatile and cost-effective evaporative cooling gaiters activate with water to cool the skin while also protecting the head and face from the sun and airborne debris. These lightweight bands can be worn a variety of ways, including as a neck gaiter, face covering, or headband, and may be thin enough to wear under hard hats.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
