You’ve likely worked in the heat before and you know how stinking hot it can be when you’re doing hard labour and sweating like crazy. Not only is it annoying, but the heat can also have pretty bad effects on your health, so we’ve put together this handy list of tips to help you beat the heat this summer.

Slap on a hat and the right clothes

This feels like the last thing you want to do, but if you want to avoid that painful sunburn and yeah, skin cancer, then you better keep yourself covered.

1. Wear breathable, protective clothing
2. Try to wear something with a collar, or some kind of protection for the back of your neck
3. A hat might be better for protecting your neck – grab one with a broader brim or attach a flap to your hard hat.
4. Wear wraparound sunnies – these are all on trend now anyway so you won’t look like an idiot, just get ones that actually have UV protection and aren’t just for style.

Slop on the sunscreen

This one’s easy as. Grab an SPF 30 UVA or higher sunscreen and chuck it on about half an hour before you go out in the sun. Getting a waterproof one is probably a good idea too if you’ll be sweating a lot.

1. Use an SPF30 or higher sunscreen so you know it’s actually going to work
2. Apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going outside
3. Use a water-resistant sunscreen to avoid it wiping off when you sweat
4. If it does come off, make sure you reapply it every couple of hours
5. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to the little spots that might get missed but will be bloody painful if you get burnt there (like the builder’s crack you might have going on when you bend over…)

Slip into the shade

Slipping into the shade sounds a tad creepy, but just make sure that if you’re working in direct sunlight, that you’ve got some kind of cover from the sun, even if it’s just a big umbrella propped up with some blocks.

1. Stay in a shady area as much as possible, especially if you’re working on a job that can be moved out of direct sunlight.
2. When you’re on smoko, find somewhere in the shade to rest – under a tree, on the shady side of your truck, wherever keeps you out of the sun.

Stay safe and cool this summer, team!