Cooler Rooms Might be the Solution to the Heat and Worker Health Crisis

As summer drags to a close for many, the heat brought on by the season may be a worry to put aside until next year. But in this changing climate, it will remain hot for many people regardless of the season. Some of the most vulnerable to the sweltering heat are those who work in the sun. Much of our essential products and services require outdoor work, so it is not easily abandoned, but extreme heat makes it riskier by the day. 

Up to 2,000 annual workplace fatalities are estimated to stem from heat, alongside 170,000 heat-related injuries, according to the consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen. Research shows cognition and task performance decrease when a worker is fatigued by heat, increasing the risk of workplace injuries. This is especially a concern for workers operating heavy machinery, but those incidents are not typically reported.

Portabull Storage aims to provide a solution with its new cooler rooms. The company is known for providing high-quality cold storage for temperature-vulnerable businesses like grocery stores and florists. Its new venture is building on that foundation to provide spaces where employees can cool down. These cooler rooms come with lighting, windows, emergency alarms and fold-down benches. They’re powered by an efficient electric system designed to conserve energy and cut costs for employers. 

The 400-foot rooms slightly resemble shipping containers. They’re self-contained and designed to keep consistent temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, even in high-heat environments. The design allows employers to transport these portable havens to different places with all types of terrain, making them an option in the most remote, unlikely work environments. 

“Today, employees in high-heat conditions only have access to makeshift or inadequate cooling solutions,” John Herman, Portabull’s president, said in a statement. “Athletic teams and construction workers struggle with open-air cooling tents, while heavy manufacturing employees might be forced to use subpar misters. Even oilfield workers, who are especially vulnerable to increasingly high temperatures, often only have access to ‘cool down’ trailers that are exposed to the elements.”

The labor force is a highly underrated but integral aspect of any business and without safe temperature regulation in this oppressive heat, it can dwindle. Successful businesses understand that employee safety, health and contentment are pivotal. “Every organization is only as healthy as the people within,” Herman said. “If employees regularly work in hot conditions, keeping them cool is a huge part of keeping them healthy.”

Air conditioning and heating are fast becoming a large part of climate adaptation. One company that has grasped this is a South Texas logistics port called Rockport Terminals, which uses the new rooms. 

“Portabull’s cooler room solution is superior to other alternatives,” Ross Stevenson, Rockport Terminals CEO, said in a statement. “It has been critical to the success and safety of our workforce at the terminal.” 

The rooms' design allows them to maintain a consistent temperature despite the heat of the environment. The same insulation technology used to create refrigerators and coolers is engineered into the design of these cooler rooms to preserve the internal temperature. It’s an effect you can’t get through putting a few fans or an air conditioning unit into a trailer. Preserving internal energy also contributes to the rooms’ energy-saving capacity. The unit ultimately exerts less power to keep the rooms cool, due to the limited effect of heat on the outside in raising or lowering the internal temperature.

Temperatures continue to rise as greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere, and the need for cooling options for occupational workers has become crucial. This new cooler room solution by Portabull is likely to be one of many in a situation that is growing more dire and hotter by the day.