Keeping Employees Cool with Prefabricated Cool-Down Booths

With the hottest months of the year staring us right in the face, the heat has been turning up in the past weeks.  While this is a pain for everyone (and our HVAC costs), it is hazardous for employees who work outside and in high temperatures.  
While OSHA does not provide specific standards for hot work environments, employers are still required to protect workers and identify potential heat-related hazards.  

How Can These Heat-Related Illnesses Be Prevented?

There are a variety of ways that employers can help protect their workers from the heat.  In the lower level of the heat index, environments 90 degrees and lower, it is advised to provide adequate drinking water and medical services while acclimatizing workers and encouraging the use of sunscreen. These guidelines are the recommended basis for all heat risk environments below 91 degrees. 
However, when temperatures rise to the next heat level, 91 - 103 degrees, employees should review the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and be reminded to hydrate frequently.  Additionally, OSHA advises frequent breaks in a "cool, shaded area."  Here lies an issue for many work environments.  Hot, outdoor operations may not have "cool, shaded area(s)" readily available for employees.  With temperatures that high, most shaded areas could not exactly be described as 'cool.' 
Because of this dilemma, Panel Built offers a modular space solution to provide self-contained, HVAC-controlled space for any environment.  Our Cool Down Booths are semi-permanent spaces designed to provide a climate-controlled area in both exterior and interior workplaces. In addition, panel Built can create Cool Down Booths for single-person or multi-person applications, similar to a breakroom.  
Breaks in "cool, shaded area(s)" are recommended in environments over 90 degrees, but breaks should be more frequent the higher up the Heat Scale you are.  The High Level (103 degrees - 115 degrees) calls for active measures to ensure workers are properly hydrated and alert of potential heat risks.  Employers should have established break schedules to make sure employees utilize cool-down time and cooling techniques. 
Work environments with a Very High to Extreme level are all work environments above 115 degrees. 
In such cases, non-essential work should be rescheduled for cooler days.  Employers should consider starting shifts earlier in the day or moved to night shifts and strict work/rest schedules along with active monitoring of workers. 

What Are The Benefits of Panel Built Cool Down Booths?

Panel Built Cool Down Booths are an excellent solution for employers operating in interior and exterior high heat environments. The modular structures are semi-permanent, providing flexibility for the structure's future. We can deliver to your facility in both pre-assembled and 'knock-down' forms to be easily put together on site.  

The Cool Down Booths create an isolated and insulated space with a personal, Through-Wall HVAC system. Rather than cooling down or air conditioning a large area, the booth creates a manageable space that can easily be climate controlled at a fraction of the cost. In addition, the buildings are 100% built to customer specifications. So, the booth can function as a single-man, personal booth, or a larger space that could cool multiple workers at once. 

Panel Built utilizes our popular wall panel design to create the booths. With the components prefabricated in our specialized modular construction facilities, the small buildings are quickly and conveniently installed at the project site. In addition, they can be delivered pre-wired and prepped for HVAC, allowing you to be promptly up and running once connected to a power source.

Many of our customers work on different job sites weekly or monthly. For them, Panel Built offers a highly mobile version of our Cool Down Booth trailer mounted. These portable booths can be easily towed from job site to job site, always providing a cool place for employees to relax. In addition, trailered Booths can be designed with a mounted generator unit to allow the booths to travel practically anywhere with a constant power source. 

Panel Built's cool-down booths utilize a 3' thick wall panel system with a polystyrene core. Exterior stalls will typically use a steel skin for the outer wall facing. On the other hand, we usually form our interior buildings from our double-sided vinyl-covered gypsum panel. For increased R-Values, we substitute a higher density core (Polyisocyanurate) to provide additional insulation.  

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Panel Built Cool Down Booths are an excellent addition for workplaces with elevated heat levels. Remember, when the Heat Index reaches the medium threat level, employees should have a cool, shaded area to take breaks and cool down. Panel Built offers highly flexible, semi-permanent cool-down solutions that can be adapted to fit your business's needs. Panel Built cool down booths can be designed for any work environment, accommodating single-person or multi-worker cool down sessions. 

Let us know the space needs of your company! We provide free, no-obligation quotes for every project. We will speak with you to see what layout best fits your needs and what materials best fit your environment. Cool-down booths can be equipped with additional features, including sound dampening, exterior security lighting, interior workstations, access control systems, and more. If you have any questions or concerns about our products, give us a call at 800-636-3873 , send us an email to info@panelbuilt.com, or let us know in our LiveChat feature in the bottom-right of the page. At Panel Built, we operate under one mission, "To Solve Our Customers' Space Needs With Excellence And Great Customer Service."