Keeping Cool With PPE
Lightweight gear and clothing to protect from the sun and overheating
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Working in the tree care industry comes with risks of all kinds, especially at such great heights. When you add the sweltering heat and humid conditions of summer, arborists may be at risk for heat-related illnesses.
One of the simplest tips to prevent heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke is to move to someplace cool or shaded. The other part of the equation is having the right personal protective equipment (PPE) for hot weather.
Ideally, this gear will both protect tree workers from the sun and keep them cool at the same time. However, in order to fight UVA and UVB rays, hot-weather PPE can often be so thick and cumbersome that it is counterproductive, causing the user to overheat instead.
The happy medium is gear that provides plenty of skin coverage while also being lightweight on the body. Here are some gear and clothing designed to keep you cool and comfortable while at work.
In addition to lightweight and breathable PPE, it’s important to consider materials that wick moisture away from the body. Look for gear that incorporates mesh panels or moisture-wicking fabrics to maximize comfort.
Sun Sleeves
Wearing sun sleeves while working out in the hot sun is a great way of protecting your skin from harmful UV rays while still being breathable to prevent overheating.
Choose a pair of sun sleeves that come with a UPF rating of 50+, which can be doubled up with sunscreen for added protection. You can sport sun sleeves that stop at your upper arms or sleeves that go up to your shoulders for more protection. When picking your pair of sun sleeves, you’ll want to choose a light color, as darker colors will attract the heat.
Ventilated Gloves
Gloves are an important piece of PPE in tree care work, and even in hot weather, you are required to wear them. The great thing about gloves is that there are a wide variety of options designed for winter or summer.
During hot weather, choose a pair of gloves made from a fabric that is ventilated and breathable while still providing adequate protection for your hands.
The Atlas Fit Summer gloves are a great option because they’re made with a 10-cut poly cotton string knit seamless liner that keeps your hands cool with a specialized latex palm for added grip.
Moisture Wicking Shirt
Arborwear Transpiration T-Shirt
When working in very hot conditions, wearing a shirt that dries quickly and is ventilated will allow your body to cool down. Pick a shirt in a light color and avoid natural fabric materials like cotton and denim, as this can trap you in the heat, making you even hotter.
Arborwear’s transpiration shirt was designed specifically for tree care workers out in the heat. The shirt is made from breathable, 100% polyester. The moisture-wicking properties ensure that sweat is moved away from the body and into the air. It can also be paired with sun sleeves for ultimate protection from the heat while still staying cool and comfortable.
Vented Work Pants
The thought of wearing long work pants on a hot day is off-putting at the very least, but shorts do not offer sufficient protection from tree care work, no matter the time of year. The solution is to wear ventilated work pants that feel like shorts.
CoolWorks’ vented work pants are designed to relieve heat stress in the workplace. From the knee down, these pants are made from a highly engineered vented mesh that is tear-resistant. They also include multiple-use cargo pockets and on/off leg covers, which turn the pants into shorts made from durable rip-stop fabric.
Breathable Boots
ArborTec Scafell Lite Lime Chainsaw Boot
Your work boots are one of the most important parts of your gear, but heavy boots can quickly make you feel very hot. Use a pair of arbor climbing boots that offer protection from the risks that come with climbing.
AborTec makes a light steel toe cap work boot that comes with a BreatheDRY system that is 100% waterproof and ventilated for added breathability.
Thermal Socks
Klein Performance Thermal Socks
The type of socks you wear under your work boots can determine how cool your feet stay and, ultimately, your overall body temperature. Choose socks that have some kind of thermal regulation feature and moisture-wicking properties.
Klein’s socks are made with merino wool, which helps keep your feet cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. Merino wool is also great for moisture wicking, which helps keep your feet dry, cool and comfortable. There is also a mesh instep that adds additional breathability to your socks.
Cooling Vests
High visibility vests are an important PPE, especially in tree care work. While adding more layers during hot weather is not desirable, many companies are now making high-visibility vests that are specifically designed to cool the body down within minutes.
To activate the vest, you’ll need to soak it in water. It should provide you with up to eight hours of cooling action with a mesh fabric to allow airflow. These vests are usually made with wicking, cooling, and drying capabilities to ensure you stay comfortable while you work.
Cooling Bandanas
MiraCool Evaporative Cooling Bandanas
In addition to the essentials, a cooling bandana is another heat-beating tool to add to your arsenal of protection. These bandanas are specifically designed to provide relief from the heat thanks to cooling crystal beads inside the lining.
Activate by soaking the bandanas in water for 10 to 15 minutes. As the beads absorb water, the bandana plumps up and can be worn around the neck or the head to provide up to two days of continuous relief from the heat.
Cooling Towels
Use a PVA cooling towel to help cool your body down after working in the heat. These towels also need to be soaked in water to be activated. Because of the engineered properties, the towel will not become heavy.
Use this towel to wrap around your neck or wipe away the sweat from your face while working or during breaks to maintain body temperature.
Ventilated Helmet
As an arbor worker, you’ll know that your helmet is a non-negotiable of your safety gear, but it can get warm when worn. Choose a helmet that offers advanced protection and added breathability to stay cool.
The Pfanner Protos is an advanced EN-certified, side impact-protected helmet that is designed for extra breathability thanks to the adjustable vent flow that can be opened on the helmet. Moisture wicking is achieved through exchangeable pads inside the helmet.
Sunscreen
Sunburn can increase the risk of other heat-related symptoms. In addition to all your other PPE, don’t forget to wear sunscreen on any part of the body exposed to direct sunlight, such as your face, arms, neck, and even the tips of your ears.
Choose a sunblock that has a high SPF factor of at least 50 and make sure to reapply regularly.