Most of the cool suits/vests require a cooler packed with ice and a coil, a pump and lines to the vest. I first learned of them at the Walter Mitty races at Road Atlanta a decade ago or so. They’re great in that application... park the cooler where the passenger seat was and take 12V power from the vehicles charging system or from a battery.
More recently I did a Hollywood movie where the same vests were modified to allow “conquistador” actors to stay in leather tunics and plate armor. We put quick-disconnect hoses on the vests and, if memory serves, changed the batteries to Makita Li-Ion 18v. Even so the functionality was a combined effort between the wardrobe department and the AD department and there were several PA’s tasked with maintaining the coolers and keeping the batteries charged.
It’s a great idea, but the 20+ pounds of equipment as well as the regular maintenance required likely makes it less effective in a warehouse environment. For an employee to actually benefit they’re gonna spend a lot less time pulling orders for shipment.
I would suggest a couple of “Big Ass Fans” TM, or depending on WHERE your facility is, swamp coolers. Swamp coolers aren’t nearly as effective in areas with humidity... but in the desert they’re AWESOME!!! I worked at a shop in Las Vegas that had 12-15 swamp coolers mounted in the ceiling of a 100-125k sq. ft. building. We never ran them all. They were in three banks and I don’t remember ever more than two banks running and that shop was always pleasant. Far more so than the end of day sprint across the tarmac to your vehicle.
I know guys here in the south will use the Por-A-Cool evaporative chillers and claim they work... I’m dubious... I’m more likely to believe they’re insisting on as much after shelling out the cash.
I would think that a better solution would be fans... at the ceiling pulling UP and at the roof-ridge pulling OUT. Possibly fans horizontal at the level people are mostly working at to keep the air moving.
Jeremy
