5 Essential Summer Safety Tips for Forestry and Manufacturing Workers in New Brunswick

Summer in New Brunswick means longer days, high temperatures, and often humid weather. These conditions can quickly become serious safety risks for workers in forestry and manufacturing if not managed properly.

Heat stress, dehydration, and fatigue all make injuries more likely, both outdoors in the woods and indoors in hot plants and mills.

The New Brunswick Forest Safety Association (NBFSA) works with employers and workers across the province to prevent such incidents through practical safety education and training. Here are five essential summer safety tips for supervisors and safety leaders who want to protect their teams during the hottest months.

1. Recognize and prevent heat-related illnesses

Heat stress can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. All three are dangerous, and heat stroke can be fatal if not treated quickly. WorkSafeNB reminds employers that both outdoor and indoor workers in hot environments are at risk, including forestry crews, sawmills, manufacturing plants and pulp mills.

Supervisors should make sure workers can recognize common symptoms such as:

• Heavy sweating and muscle cramps

• Headache, dizziness, weakness or nausea

• Hot, dry, flushed skin and confusion

  
  

To prevent heat-related illnesses:

• Adjust work schedules so the heaviest tasks happen in cooler parts of the day when possible.

• Plan regular breaks in shaded or cool areas, especially during mid‑day and early afternoon.

• Encourage workers to “listen to their bodies” and report early signs of heat stress right away.

2. Make hydration part of the workday

Dehydration reduces concentration, slows reaction time, and increases the chance of mistakes and injuries. Workers should drink water before starting work and then have about a cup every 15 to 20 minutes during hot conditions, even if they do not feel thirsty.

Supervisors can support good hydration by:

• Setting up water stations close to work areas in the forest and on the plant floor

• Reminding workers to drink small amounts often rather than large amounts only at breaks

• Avoiding sugary, highly caffeinated, or energy drinks, which can make dehydration worse

• Encouraging workers to carry personal water bottles and refill them throughout the shift

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These simple steps help keep workers alert, safer, and more productive in hot weather.

3. Choose the right personal protective equipment for summer

In hot weather, workers may be tempted to skip some of their personal protective equipment because it feels heavy or uncomfortable. This can increase the risk of cuts, falls, eye injuries and other incidents.

NBFSA encourages employers to keep PPE requirements in place while also looking for summer-friendly

options. Good practices include:

• Using high-visibility clothing made from breathable, lightweight fabrics

• Choosing light coloured clothing to reflect sunlight and reduce heat buildup

• Making sure hard hats, gloves and safety glasses fit properly and do not add unnecessary strain

• Reminding workers that PPE is still required even when the temperature is high

  
  

Comfortable PPE supports safety and helps workers stay compliant with company policies and New Brunswick legislation.

4. Maintain equipment and work areas when it is hot

Heat and humidity can affect how machinery runs and how safe work areas feel underfoot. In forestry and manufacturing, this can include saws, conveyors, loaders, forklifts and other powered equipment.

Supervisors and maintenance teams should:

• Follow regular inspection and maintenance schedules, paying special attention to overheating, leaks and worn parts

• Keep walkways clear of debris, mud and spilled product to reduce slips, trips and falls

• Check that ventilation systems are working properly in mills and manufacturing plants to reduce heat buildup

• Monitor air quality when wildfire smoke or other pollutants are present and adjust work plans as needed

  
  

Good housekeeping and equipment care are part of summer safety, not separate from it.

5. Provide summer safety training and emergency preparation

Training is one of the most powerful tools for preventing summer incidents. Workers and supervisors need to know the risks, how to control them, and what to do if someone becomes ill or injured.

Effective summer safety training for New Brunswick forestry and manufacturing workplaces should cover:

• How to recognize heat stress and what first aid steps to take

• How to work safely in hot environments, both outdoors and indoors

• How to report hazards, near misses and early signs of heat-related problems

• Clear emergency procedures, including who to call, where to go and how to support first aid responders

  
  

Regular drills help make sure workers are ready to respond calmly if something goes wrong.

How NBFSA can support your summer safety program

The New Brunswick Forest Safety Association offers training and safety services designed for forestry and related industries across the province. Through its Virtual Training Academy and course list, NBFSA can help employers build stronger summer safety programs that include:

• Online safety training modules that cover heat stress awareness, PPE basics and safe work practices

• Courses that support supervisors in leading safety talks and coaching summer crews

• Safety services that help review current programs and identify gaps in seasonal planning

  
  

By combining site-specific procedures with NBFSA’s training and guidance, employers can reduce heat-related incidents and keep workers safer throughout the summer.

Final thoughts

Summer safety in New Brunswick is not just about comfort. It is about preventing serious illnesses, injuries and even fatalities among forestry and manufacturing workers. When supervisors plan for heat, promote hydration, enforce PPE use, maintain equipment and invest in training, they help protect both people and operations during this demanding season.