Cooling Fans Help LA Manufacturer Fight the Heat

Heat is a threat to many worksites across the country. While there’s no way to eliminate it, companies can be proactive about keeping workers safe.

That’s exactly the mantra of Craig Williams, Safety and Security Manager at Omni Specialty Packaging, a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of lubricants and chemicals for the automotive and industrial sectors.

He joined host Tyler Kern on Keep Kuul to discuss how they fight the heat.

“Being based in Louisiana, we have temperatures over 100 degrees, plus humidity. It’s difficult to work in this atmosphere, impacting breathing and energy levels. It’s a lot of discomfort, which affects performance,” Williams said.

Williams noted that heat-related illnesses can be deadly and lead to emergencies routinely. Because Omni places safety as a value, they sought to be proactive by employing cooling fans from Portacool.

Williams was familiar with the product prior to his current role and implemented them in the plant and warehouses. “There were many hot spots with no ventilation or air circulation. A regular fan just blew hot air around. Implementing the cooling fans made a difference.”

In describing what he appreciated about the products, he shared, “The automatic shutoff is key, because, without it, you can easily burn up a motor. They also changed the blades and pulleys, so it’s smoother and covers a lot of square footage.”

With the placement of these fans, Williams said it “sends a positive message to employees that we care about them.” He also emphasized the need to be pre-emptive in identifying hazards and coming up with corrective measures.