If you work outside in Australia, summer is part of the job. Concreting at midday, painting a north-facing wall, laying pavers on a 40-degree afternoon: the heat doesn't care about the deadline. These are simple, practical habits that make long hot days easier on the body.
1. Start early and move the hard work
The coolest part of the day is the morning. Get on site early and do the heaviest, most physical jobs first. Save the lighter tasks, paperwork, pickups and shaded work for the hottest part of the afternoon.
2. Drink before you are thirsty
By the time you feel thirsty, you are already behind. Keep a big water bottle or a jug in the shade and sip often through the day, not just at smoko. Check the colour of your urine: pale is good, dark means you need more water.
3. Take real breaks in the shade
Short, regular breaks out of the sun do more than one long break at lunch. Set up shade on site if there is none: a pop-up gazebo, a tarp or simply the shady side of the ute.
4. Dress for the heat
- Light-coloured, loose, breathable long sleeves keep the sun off your skin and let sweat evaporate.
- A brim or neck flap on your hard hat protects the back of your neck.
- Sunscreen on every bit of exposed skin, reapplied through the day.
- Sunnies that meet the Australian standard.
5. Cool your neck, head and wrists
Cooling the skin where blood flows close to the surface helps you feel cooler fast. Two easy options:
- A cooling towel: soak, wring, snap and wear it under your hard hat. Re-wet it whenever it dries. Here is how to use a cooling towel properly.
- A neck cooler ring: keep a couple in the esky and swap them when one warms up.
6. Ease into the heat
The first hot days of the season, or the first days back after a break, hit hardest. Your body needs time to get used to the heat, so go easier at the start and build up.
7. Look out for your mates
Heat illness can sneak up on people. Warning signs include heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps, unusual tiredness and confusion. If someone shows signs, get them into the shade, give them water if they can drink and cool them down. If someone is confused, stops sweating, collapses or isn't making sense, treat it as an emergency and call 000.
For workplace guidance, check Safe Work Australia and your state's work safety regulator.
Gear that helps
IcyMate gear is built for exactly these days:
- IcyMate Cooling Towel: 100 x 30 cm, hi-vis orange or lime, made to wear under a hard hat. Buy 5+ for the crew and save 25%.
- IcyMate Neck Cooler Ring: no battery, chill it and wear it.
Cooling gear helps you feel cooler. It does not replace water, shade, rest breaks and a proper heat plan on site.