Every summer, it’s the same fight.
“It’s too hot for long sleeves.”
I hear it constantly in the shops, and I get it — nobody wants an extra layer when it’s already miserable out
there. But our policy isn’t up for debate, because it’s not about comfort. It’s about what happens when something goes wrong. Grinding, welding, hot slag, sparks — that extra layer of fabric is the difference between a close call and a burn that puts someone out of work for weeks.
OSHA doesn’t ask us to eliminate every hazard. It asks us to protect our people from the ones we can’t eliminate. Long sleeves are one of the simplest, cheapest ways we do that.
Is there a temperature difference between short sleeves and long? Sure. A few degrees. But weigh that against the alternative — a burn scar, an ER visit, a guy off the job during our busiest season. It’s not a hard trade once you think it through.
I know it’s a tough sell in July and August. I’m not pretending it’s comfortable. But comfort and safety aren’t always the same conversation, and my job is to make sure we don’t confuse the two.
Cover up. Stay cool the smart way — hydration, breaks, breathable fabrics under the PPE. But the sleeves stay down.