Considered a luxury by some, in reality providing cooling in hot environments keeps workers, animals or anyone exposed to the heat safe. It also reduces liabilities on the job or around the farm.
As workers endure warm working conditions, the failure to hydrate can quickly lead to dehydration. Aside from the health risks this poses for workers, dehydrated workers are also at greater risk on the job. After only a 2% loss of body weight, visual motor tracking, short term memory and attention are impaired. In extreme cases, situations where 4% of fluids are lost, workers reaction times increased by 23%. (1) For work environments where heavy machinery like forklifts or stationary machines are being operated, delays in reaction time can be critical. Evaporative cooling from Portacool, as well as responsible hydration practices, can help reduce liabilities in warm working conditions.
Humans aren’t the only ones who are at risk when it’s hot. Horses can go from being at risk of heat exhaustion to heat stroke in as little as 15 minutes at extreme temperatures. Horse bodies react rapidly when their body temperatures elevate. A horse with a body temperature of 106°F is at risk for heat exhaustion, and by 108°, with only 15 minutes of exposure, the animal is at risk for heat stroke. (2) Portacool evaporative coolers are perfect for stables, and unlike fans, actually lower the ambient temperature to help keep horses safer and more comfortable.
Sources:
1 – EHS Today, June 2010
2 – Equus Magazine, July 2008
