INSTALLING an air-conditioning (AC) system in a factory to manage heat may create more harm than good, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The Jamaica Observer reached out to the ministry for a response following calls for more cooling units to be installed in factories to help workers cope with the extreme heat. In a written response from the ministry, it explained that for an AC system to achieve its purpose of cooling, it must operate within a closed air circulation environment.

“Having a closed system significantly increases the risks of the accumulation of dust, dangerous fumes, gases or other effluvia that is emitted from manufacturing processes. Conversely, the materials used in the manufacturing processes such as volatile chemicals or cleaning agents may contribute to and/or cause air contamination,” the ministry explained in an e-mail response.

It further explained that AC systems will constantly cool and recirculate contaminated air within the space, causing the concentration to reach dangerous levels and with the lack of fresh, clean air, it may result in workers “experiencing severe respiratory illnesses and other deleterious effects on workers’ health.”

Notwithstanding, factory owners do have a duty to ensure proper ventilation for their employees. The ministry referenced the Factories Regulations 61 and 64, which places an obligation on the owner/operator of factories to ensure sufficient ventilation as well as to reduce the risk of the accumulation of effluvia in the working environment.

Regulation 64 (1) states that, “effective provision shall be made for securing and maintaining a reasonable temperature in each workroom, but no method shall be employed which results in the escape of in to the air of any workroom of any fume of such character and to such extent as to be likely to be injurious or offensive to persons employed within.”

Regulation 61 requires that “effective and suitable provisions shall be made for securing and maintaining by the circulation of fresh air in each workroom the adequate ventilation of the room for rendering harmless, as far as practicable, any fumes, dust and other impurities that may be injurious to health generated in the course of any process or work carried out in a factory”.

In order to satisfy these requirements, the ministry urges factory owners/operators to use other cooling options, a combination of open windows, doors, fans and air extracting devices in workrooms to dissipate heat and prevent the accumulation of contaminants by pulling fresh air into the work environment.

As for calls to have the construction of these warehouses and factories re-evaluated, the ministry pointed to the municipal corporation as the authority responsible for any approved building plans.

“The Bureau of Standards, the Municipal Corporations and other stakeholders in the construction industry are currently developing new building codes,” the response added.

In the meantime, with rising temperatures due to changes in global weather patterns, the ministry is encouraging owners/operators of factories to change the manner in which workers conduct tasks to mitigate the risks associated with heat.

“Allow the workers to take more frequent breaks to allow for rest, rehydration and lowering of the body temperature, rotating manually intensive tasks between workers so that the worker is engaged in these activities for shorter periods of time and conducting ‘hot work’ if possible in the morning where the ambient temperature is lower,” it said.

They are also encouraging manufacturing companies to revisit coveralls and personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by workers to determine if cooler alternatives exist that will not compromise the effectiveness of the PPE, or the safety or health of the worker.

According to the response, the ministry has received one heat related complaint recently and has commenced its investigation into the matter, which it will soon conclude.