Suit Up for Summer: Here Are Three Products Designed to Keep You Productive and Safe During the Hot Work Season

Summer is just around the corner. This hopeful Northeast Ohioan can feel it in her cold bones. With the warm weather work season upon us, it’s important to find apparel and products designed to keep you comfortable, safe and productive. Here are some that stand out.

Milwaukee Tool

Milwaukee Tool recently expanded its work wear lineup with performance-driven apparel such as its Hybrid Work Tees, Workskin Performance Fitted Hats and Workskin Performance Neck Gaiters.

Crews can keep cool in the Hybrid Work Tee, a comfortable and breathable work shirt with moisture-wicking fabric to stay dry while working. Milwaukee says the shirt offers Ultraviolet Protection Factor 50 protection for warm days on the jobsite and is available in four colors in sizes small through 3XL. The company’s new Workskin Performance Fitted Hats are perfect for mitigating sweat while regulating temperature and repelling odors. These hats are ideal for users in high activity jobs and are available in blue, gray and dark gray.

Milwaukee’s Workskin Performance Neck Gaiters are made with moisture-wicking fabric and feature an adjustable rear drawstring. The gaiters, which are available in red or gray, dry faster to keep users cool and also boast Ultraviolet Protection Factor 50 sun protection. Another plus: Anti-microbial treatment prevents odors and bacteria buildup.

Did Someone Say Hearing Protection? Check Out Cardo Crew’s New Comm-Set, a Smart Mesh Hearing Protector

Cardo Crew’s Comm-Set is a noise protection communication solution that increases productivity and safety by enabling work crews to stay connected in noisy and hazardous environments. Powered by Cardo’s mesh intercom technology, Dynamic Mesh Communications (DMC), Comm-Set keeps teams protected and connected while they work in hazardous environments or remote worksites. In addition to connecting anywhere from two to 15 users via wireless mesh technology within a two-mile range, the hands-free Comm-Set provides situational awareness and is equipped with a plug to easily connect two-way radios. The system guarantees the user’s protection against impulsive and loud environmental noises. Eight different channels enable a seamless co-existence of multiple intercom networks within the same terrain for unparalleled performance. Offering many options, users can connect their mobile phone via Bluetooth technology and use the dedicated mobile app, plus easily operate such features as built-in FM radio and music streaming. For more info, visit cardocrew.com.

NoSweat Hard Hat Liners

If your work requires a hard hat, consider NoSweat liners. These are the first disposable performance liners specifically for hard hats that absorb sweat instantly while preventing odors, stains, acne and the constant need to stop and wipe up sweat with a towel or a shirt sleeve.

“Laborious, active work and warm environments on a jobsite can leave workers drenched in sweat and with a smelly hard hat at the end of the day,” says Alex Golenzer, operations manager for NoSweat. “Having sweat roll into your eyes or having to constantly stop what you are doing to wipe away sweat with a towel or your shirt sleeve can be dangerous. NoSweat offers a simple solution that can help stop these problems before they begin by instantly soaking up any sweat, dirt or oil on the forehead area. The liners feature patented SweatLock Technology and can also help prolong the use of hard hats by keeping them free of sweat stains and odors.”

According to the company, NoSweat thin liners offer a universal fit in all brands and makes of hard hats and are compliant with major safety standards requirements. Users can install the liners in seconds, and each one absorbs around 2 ounces of sweat. NoSweat says that each liner can last anywhere from one use up to two weeks, depending on the person and activities being performed.

Kenzen Climate Tech

Work needs to get done, so oftentimes crews don’t take the breaks they need to allow their bodies to recover from the heat. Some may have no idea just how badly the hot workday may be affecting them. Kenzen is here to help with that. The company’s monitoring system includes a wearable device that gathers physiological data that triggers alerts when the worker’s core body temperature is too high. Kenzen says its continuous monitoring system keeps workers safe and helps companies proactively manage risk and productivity. For example, the collected data can be used by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) leaders to enhance heat safety across their companies.

“Until recently, the world wasn’t speculating on the occupational impact of climate change. But organizations like the Department of Labor, OSHA and NIOSH and President Biden, by issuing new heat rules for worksites, are making the issue of dangerous heat impossible to ignore,” says Heidi Lehmann, cofounder of Kenzen. “Heat risk to workers and companies has caught the attention of many organizations and international media because it now kills more Americans than any other weather-related event, and it has been injuring workers quietly for many years. As industrial companies and workers await OSHA heat standards, climate tech is proliferating many worksites because it’s proving critical to predicting and preventing occupational heat injury and illness (HRI) as climate change causes an increased number of days above 90°F and longer, more extreme heat waves. New wearable technology, like the Kenzen system, can detect HRI symptoms that were previously hard to diagnose on worksites.”

Best Mobile App Awards recently honored Kenzen’s mobile app with its Best New Mobile App award. Working along with the wearable device, the Kenzen app alerts workers (and their supervisors) when they need to rest, hydrate and cool their bodies to prevent heat stress and fatalities in indoor and outdoor work environments. A second alert lets workers know when they can safely return to the job.

Pam Kleineke is managing editor of Compact Equipment.