TRYING OUT COOLING GARMENTS
One Singapore construction firm is exploring additional heat stress management measures on top of what the government requires.
SoilBuild Construction Group, which is building the PSA Supply Chain Hub @ Tuas, is on its second trial of cooling garments for outdoor workers.
For the past two weeks, 24 workers across two worksites have been wearing fan-based vests, inner shirts with cooling hydrogels, and inner shirts with a printed cooling technology called FreezeTech.
The company’s earlier trial found that these garments reduced skin temperature by about 3.9 degrees Celsius.
Solar panel installer Ali Md Eakub, who is testing out the FreezeTech shirt, said it has made a difference to his comfort level at work.
The most impactful heat stress measures so far have been the shaded rest areas and cool water dispensers provided by his employer, he added.
“Workers are also telling us that they don’t feel as tired as they were at the end of the work days,” said SoilBuild executive director and group CEO Lim Han Ren.
Mr Lim said that hourly measurements of wet bulb globe temperature have been the most difficult measure to implement at work sites.
While some of the heat protection measures reduce productivity slightly, the company sees benefits in avoiding occurrences of heat injury or heat stress among its workers, he added.
