Heat Stress Prevention
Industrial Heat Stress Prevention
Industrial and commercial buildings often suffer a common problem: moderate to excessive heat that can impact employee safety and productivity. These businesses may also find themselves in violation of federal, state, and local statutes such as OSHA heat stress standard, California Title 24 Part 6, and ASHRAE 55.
As employers increasingly invite workers back to the workplace, safety and comfort can make the difference between retaining talent and having a revolving-door workforce. Make heat stress safety priority number one, and treat it as you would any other occupational hazard. A strategic deployment of fans, swamp coolers, shaded areas, and easily accessible water can help keep your team safe and productive.
Benefits of hvls fans
Keep workers safe from extreme temperatures
Provide airflow that makes people feel cooler
Reduce Need for A/C, reducing power bills
Improve efficiency and effectiveness of A/C
A single HVLS fan can replace 10-20 floor fans
WHAT IS HEAT STRESS?
Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to cool itself enough to maintain a healthy body temperature of 97-99 °F. The three primary forms of heat stress are:
- Heat cramps
- Heat exhaustion
- Heat stroke
IMPACT OF HEAT STRESS
With this year expected to be the hottest on record, businesses of all sizes are feeling the effects of heat stress on their people. And for many, that means more than just extra sweat. Heat stress symptoms can include:
- Heat-related illnesses
- Loss of productivity
- Dropping employee retention
- Dissatisfied customers
Case Study - NASA
NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, US, uses Big Ass fans to solve its year-round air movement problems. At building 1244, a 90,000-square-foot aircraft hangar with 100-foot (30.48-meter) ceilings, four 24-foot (7.32-meter) diameter Big Ass fans were installed to create a cool summertime space, and a more evenly heated area in the winter.
The facility used fans from Big Ass Fans’ bestselling product line, the Powerfoil® series, to keep employees feeling cool. Increased air temperature and humidity in the summer months combined with increased security restrictions that mandate hangar doors should stay closed as much as possible, meant air-conditioning would have been impractical for the size of the facility.
Four of Big Ass Fans’ industrial ceiling fans did the trick, creating more airflow and helping to dehumidify the air. Facility coordinator John Hefner said at first, employees were skeptical: “They didn’t believe they’d work, but now they wouldn’t be without them. There is much more air movement now.”
Frequently Asked Questions
- HOW DOES AN OVERHEAD BIG ASS FAN AFFECT AIRFLOW?
Using a ceiling mounted Big Ass fan provides bi-directional airflow and elevated air speed as a powerful way to keep workers and guests comfortable in a space. Immediately underneath a Big Ass fan, airflow is pushed downward. Outside its diameter, the airflow transitions to horizontal air movement, providing comfortable airflow over a large area as per ASHRAE Standard 55’s thermal comfort calculations. - HOW DOES A PORTABLE FAN AFFECT AIRFLOW?
Big Ass Fans’ directional fans create a one-way airflow pattern that moves air to the area in front of the fan. Directional fans are most often used to cool workers in congested areas where overhead fans cannot be safely mounted. Additionally, most of Big Ass Fans’ portable fans feature variable speed control, allowing users to adjust airflow to provide the optimal desired cooling effect. - CAN SWAMP COOLERS LOWER THE TEMPERATURE?
These coolers use the power of evaporation to directly lower temperatures by up to 33 °F. - WHAT IF OUR INDUSTRIAL BUILDING DOES NOT HAVE HVAC OR A/C?
HVLS fans are great as a primary or solo source of airflow to alleviate heat stress. These purpose-built industrial fans are more than enough to get the job done.