Admittedly,, comfy' is probably pushing it. But we can make life more bearable for those who need to wear face masks in hot spaces, whether kitchen workers or people laboring in hot weather.
First, to clarify: Face coverings alone do not cause people to overheat. The Washington State Department of Labor and Guidelines says that studies have shown that filtering facepieces like the N95 respirator do not cause additional physiological stress to most wearers — and cloth face coverings and procedural masks are even less restrictive.
Still, our faces do sweat sometimes. What's a person to do?
OSHA suggestions include alternatives like face shields, when appropriate; allowing workers to take breaks inside of air conditioned cars (solo); enhancing ventilation; and allowing workers to wear cooling items like icepack vests or loose clothing if they don't present a safety hazard.
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.