Evaporative Cooling Vest

WHY COOLING PPE IS SO IMPORTANT

If you’ve ever suffered from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, you’ll know it’s not a pleasant experience. Heat stroke is a condition of the body, caused by overheating. This can come from prolonged exposure to the sun or exceptionally high temperatures (over 40’C), as well as physical exertion in those conditions. Some of the ways you can spot if your worker is suffering from heat-related illnesses, include: a high body temperature, altered mental state or behaviour, excessive sweating, skin that is hot and dry to the touch, skin is flushed, there’s rapid breathing or racing heart rate, nausea and vomiting, headaches, and more. Severe overheating requires immediate assistance or emergency treatment before it gets worse or even life-threatening. Your employees can alleviate or avoid many of these symptoms by keeping up their fluids and wearing a cooling vest while working.

WHAT IS AN EVAPORATIVE COOLING VEST?

A cooling vest is a device designed to keep the core body temperature lower (and the body cool) in heat and humidity, and they help prevent overheating or illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Cooling vests can be used across a variety of industries, especially those that require the wearing of PPE and other protective equipment. Some of the most common occupations that use a cooling vest include medical staff in hospitals, athletes, industrial trades that work with heat like welding and casting, individuals with special needs or health conditions, and any other areas where heat stress can become a major risk. Cooling vests work by reducing the skin temperature or helping the body to maintain a stable core temperature, they lower cardiac output towards the skin and allows more blood to be sent back to the muscles, and they can help delay dehydration by conserving fluids that ordinarily would be lost through sweating. Depending on the type of vest, some use cold packs or gel packs which are highly effective in extremely humid and hot temperatures, while others instead use innovative evaporative cooling technology.

Whether it’s managing heat stress, dehydration, protecting skin, or preventing injuries, our comprehensive range of products will protect your workers while also making the working environment a safer place to be. Utilising cooling vests or similar is one of the easiest ways to ensure your employees experience less discomfort and overheating, and our cooling vest products have also been designed to reduce and eliminate the onset of heat-related stress and illnesses.

As temperatures soar in unpredictable climates, working outside can cause overexposure to the sun, leading to heat stress and dehydration. Workers across Australia and New Zealand are asking themselves what to wear when working outside in the heat. According to Safework Australia, working in extreme heat can lead to a range of heat-related illnesses, including heat rash, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. It’s essential to know the signs of heat stress and take measures to prevent it. Find out more here.