Market traders and showmen take note: Get your stalls and rides ready for the cold season now!

Summer in Germany is on its last legs and there are only a few weeks left until the first autumn markets of the year start. For many stall owners and ride operators, the first thoughts are certainly already turning to preparations for the coming Christmas markets. But the topics of "cold at the workplace" and "frost protection for equipment and supply lines" are often not considered or simply tackled too late. We will show you suitable solutions to ensure a pleasant feeling of well-being for the staff and to avoid frost damage to the equipment.

If the human organism is exposed to temperatures that are too low for a longer period of time, there is a risk of hazards such as fatigue and exhaustion, reduced alertness and a resulting increase in the risk of accidents or even illness with loss of working hours lasting several days.

The duty of care for employers stipulates that a temperature conducive to health must be (re-)established quickly. The TOP principle provides for suitable measures:

• T - Technical measures, such as heating mats or other heat sources
• O - Organisational measures, such as warming-up periods before the start of work and during breaks
• P - Personal measures, such as appropriate clothing or warm shoes.

Electric heaters (technical measure (T) according to the TOP principle) are a particularly simple way to provide comfortable warmth. In this way, with comparatively little effort, the well-being and motivation of staff can be increased, health promoted and sick days avoided, and better productivity achieved.

Our many years of experience as an expert for innovative electric heating systems show that the requirements of our customers are always similar. The following criteria in particular are required:

• easy to retrofit
• preferably ready to plug in (plug & play)
• efficient in operation
• mobile use
• robust and splash-proof
• can be dismantled for seasonal installations

First, however, it is important to determine the optimal heating technology for the respective area of application.

With the principle of convection heat, which is generated for example by convector heaters and fan heaters, direct heating of the room air takes place. This functional principle always ensures a particularly fast heat supply, but is largely only suitable for fully or partially closed superstructures. Otherwise, the air exchange is too high in open structures, so that the effectiveness and economy of these heating sources are significantly reduced.

In the principle of radiant heat, which is generated for example by infrared radiant heaters and infrared heating panels, infrared rays are emitted instead of directly heating the air in the room. These infrared rays strike objects and people directly, creating a pleasant and even warmth, similar to the sun's rays. This makes the units ideally suited for open set-ups or open, windy areas, as there is hardly any heat loss. 

Heat is supplied much more selectively by means of direct heat, e.g. from heatable stands and rubber heating mats. Here, the focus is on directly warming the feet, because warm feet have a beneficial effect on the entire human organism. Cold feet, on the other hand, tend to cause discomfort and, as experience has shown, increase susceptibility to illness. 

The problem of cold feet in particular is often the same with mobile sales stands on a trailer chassis or temporarily erected superstructures on a support structure: the free space underneath the floor ensures a constant exchange of air and results in a feeling of cold. An electric heating mat can be used to counteract this effectively, so that the days of cold feet are over.

Tip: Our Mi-Heat Pro-Mat rubber heating mats, which can be laid out in rows up to 12.6 m long, are particularly popular. The UV-resistant heating mats with an output of 225 watts have a patented and completely waterproof connection system.

In addition to providing a pleasant feeling of warmth for the staff, electrical heating devices can also be used to protect material things. 

For example, special heating cables (so-called pipe trace heaters) can be used to protect fresh and waste water pipes from frost damage. An integrated thermostat ensures that the heating cable is automatically switched on at temperatures below the 5°C limit and switched off after the pipes have warmed up sufficiently.

Such heating cables can also be used to melt snow on roofs in areas particularly prone to snow loads and to keep rain gutters and downpipes clear of rain, thaw and melt water. Particularly robust and UV-protected models are available for this purpose. Suitable brackets enable a secure hold in the respective installation situation. Depending on the model, either an integrated thermostat is available or an optional control unit.

Particularly frost-sensitive containers, for example barrels or drums with liquids, can be protected with so-called barrel heaters. These heaters, which originate from the industrial sector, are available in common standard sizes and can be installed in just a few steps. The drum heaters are made of a stable Cordura material with an integrated insulation layer to minimise heat loss to the outside. A built-in capillary temperature controller allows the exact setting of the desired temperature. 

Outdoor areas at risk from slippery conditions, for example standing surfaces made of aluminium chequer plate, stairs or ramps, can be protected with non-slip rubber heating mats. The durable and robust mats are completely waterproof and can be laid out quickly and easily in the potentially hazardous area. Likewise, removal is possible in a very short time with just a few simple steps. Depending on the model, the rubber heating mats are available as a single solution or as a stackable system.

By the way, we also offer heating concepts for motor homes, caravans and showmen's vehicles. Because here, too, there is often the challenge of cold feet, as there is a constant (cold) air exchange under the vehicles. Our retrofittable electric underfloor heating systems based on carbon heating films are therefore particularly popular.