ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is celebrating National Safety Month this month with the release of a series of safety bulletins to assist mechanical construction and service contractors in addressing the issues being highlighted during the month. The first bulletin, Heat-Related Health Problems, provides information to help contractors protect their workers during hot summer weather.

“Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are the most common heat-related health problems. Physical work in non-air-conditioned facilities really takes a toll on mechanical construction and service workers, especially in hot, humid summer weather,” said Tom Skaggs, chairman of MCAA’s Safety and Health Committee and vice president – safety for the Murphy Company.

The Heat-Related Health Problems bulletin reviews each of these problems in turn, starting with heat cramps, the least harmful health problem, and ending with the most harmful, heat stroke. It also provides cooling tips for service technicians wearing NFPA 70E required arc flash protective equipment.

“One of our biggest concerns is for the safety of mechanical service technicians working on rooftop HVAC units on hot summer days,” noted Pete Chaney, MCAA director of safety and health. He added that the required personal protective equipment for arc flash protection presents the possibility of heat hazards and, “Keeping our service techs from becoming overheated is very important, especially since they’re most often working alone.”

The Heat-Related Health Problems bulletin is available at www.mcaa.org/safety, where additional information about MCAA’s Safety Excellence Initiative is highlighted. In addition, MCAA offers a variety of safety publications specifically for the mechanical construction, service, and plumbing industries at www.mcaa.org/store.

Publication date: 06/13/2011