The increased air flow effect on workers can be like an island breeze, relieving hot, sweaty conditions and accelerating cooling.

Ok, so maybe island paradise might be a bit of a stretch. But High Velocity Low Speed (HVLS) fans – HVLS Industrial Fans Brochure – will drastically improve work conditions in your facility during the hot Texas summer weather.

110° F – Holy heat stroke!

Texas summer heat averages around 98° F outdoors.  Which can quickly escalate to over 110° F within a minimally ventilated warehouse or other high-ceiling facility. 

When our bodies are exposed to high humidity, along with the heat and activity, our internal temperature rises which increases the possibility of heat rash or heat stroke. 

At a heat of 103° F or higher, OSHA recommends additional precaution to be taken for workers.  OSHA provides a great heat index chart for employers to follow.

Errors spike up to 300% at 90° F.

Extra precaution is good, but what about productivity and error rates during working conditions in extreme heat?

A NASA study on temperatures, productivity, and accuracy confirmed that higher temperatures have a substantial negative impact on productivity and accuracy.

• At 75° F, work output drops by 3%, and at this point accuracy remains unaffected.
• At 80° F, work output drops to 8% while accuracy is reduced by 5%.
• At 85° F, conditions worsen. The error rate increases by 40% and productivity drops by 18%.
• At over 90° F, the error rate spikes to 300% while productivity plummets by 29%.

Proper air flow with HVLS fans can increase productivity and accuracy. 

Industrial and commercial sized HVLS fans increases air flow and comfort, while relieving heat stress and fatigue.  With properly managed airflow, workers will feel more comfortable and are able to work at higher productivity rates with increased accuracy. 

With HVAC

When used in conjunction with HVAC, HVLS fans keep larger locations such as warehouses, loading docks, distribution centers, and other high-ceiling locations up to 15 degrees cooler in blistering heat.

High Velocity Low Speed fans move huge volumes of air that HVAC systems can’t.  In hot, sweaty conditions, HVLS fans break up the moisture-saturated layer surrounding the body, accelerating sweat evaporation to produce a perceived cooling effect of up to 10° F.

Without HVAC

In facilities without HVAC, giant industrial fans can act as a cooling system, lowering perceived temperatures across the fan’s coverage area.  HVLS fans don’t actually reduce temperatures, but they make it feel cooler than it actually is by 6 to 12 degrees.

If it’s not financially feasible or you’re simply unable to implement a HVAC system, an HVLS fan is an economical way to increase worker comfort and retention in this tough labor market.

Reduce energy costs by 30%.

When used with HVAC, warehouse fans offer up to 30% energy cost savings by optimizing HVAC output. In many cases, a return on investment can be realized in less than 2 years.

They’re engineered to move more air with less energy to increase overall air velocity.  With improved air movement, you can set your AC at a higher temp without sacrificing comfort.  

They’re also designed to run in reverse during the cooler months, forcing warmer trapped air down from the ceiling and distributing heat evenly throughout the workspace.  Running the fans in reverse effectively reduces heating costs. 

Next Steps

One of the best ways to avoid the risk of heat illness, unavoidable errors, and lost productivity is to prevent it altogether. 

Our job as a solutions and equipment provider is to keep safety a top priority while providing unique, cost-effective solutions. Contact us – we can help.