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Health ("KLE//VFELOER Safet Blight People,Fight Solutions. Safety Ambient Temperatures Maximum Wearing Time Above 90 degrees '/2 hour 80 to 90 degrees 1 hour 70 to 80 degrees 2 hours 60 to 70 degrees 3 hours Below 60 degrees 4 hours Table 1. A sufficient period must be allowed for personnel to "cool down." One of the best ways to reduce heat stress on workers is to minimize heat in the workplace. However, there are some work environments where heat production is difficult to control, such as when furnaces or sources of steam or water are present in the work area, or when the workplace itself is outdoors and exposed to varying warm weather conditions. Humans are, to a large extent, capable of adjusting to the heat. This adjustment to heat, under normal circumstances, usually takes about 5 to 7 days, but can take up to 3 weeks, during which time the body will undergo a series of changes that will make continued exposure to heat more endurable. On the first day of work in a hot environment, the body temperature, pulse rate, and general discomfort will be higher. With each succeeding daily exposure, all of these responses will gradually decrease, while the sweat rate will increase. When the body becomes acclimated to the heat, the worker will find it possible to perform work with less strain and distress. Gradual exposure to heat gives the body time to become accustomed to higher environmental temperatures. Heat disorders in general are more likely to occur among workers who have not acclimatized to working in the heat. 5-08.6.6 Evaluation of PPE Use Clothing inhibits the transfer of heat between the body and the surrounding environment. Therefore, in hot jobs where the air temperature is lower than skin temperature, wearing clothing reduces the body's ability to lose heat into the air. When air temperature is higher than skin temperature, clothing helps to prevent the transfer of heat from the air to the body. However, this advantage may be nullified if the clothes interfere with the evaporation of sweat. In dry climates, adequate evaporation of sweat is seldom a problem. In a dry work environment with very high air temperatures, protective clothing could be an advantage to the worker. The proper type of clothing depends on the specific circumstance. Certain work in hot environments may require insulated gloves, insulated suits, reflective clothing, or infrared reflecting face shields. For extremely hot conditions, thermally conditioned clothing is available. One such garment carries a self-contained air conditioner in a backpack, while another is connected Page b of 9 Copyright 2019 Kleinfelder, Inc Important: When modifying this document, update properties with your name, date, and nature of changes made.