Heat Safety Tool From OHSA: Stay Safe this Summer

Summer is the most fun season of the year, but it’s also the warmest, so working outside can be dangerous if proper precautions aren’t followed. Whether you’re a worker or an employer, it’s important to make sure heat safety measures are always taken, because the high temperatures can cause serious injuries — or even death.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed an app to help avoid heat-related illnesses and injuries. This free OSHA Heat Safety Tool is available for download on both Android and iPhone devices, so you can use it from anywhere.

OSHA Heat Safety Tool Features

Take advantage of these benefits offered by the OSHA Heat Safety Tool.

  • Calculate the heat index for your worksite to find the risk level for outdoor workers.
  • Get reminders of protective measures that must be taken at your current risk level to stay safe, including the amount of water to drink, how often rest breaks should be scheduled, tips to handle an emergency, guidelines for training new workers, and signs of heat-related illnesses.
  • Download the app in English or Spanish.

Stay Safe in the Heat

The temperature outdoors doesn’t mean much to employees working in a building with air conditioning, but it’s a huge issue to those outside in the elements. Working in full sunlight can cause heat index values to surge by 15 degrees Fahrenheit, according to OSHA. Employees need to be properly hydrated and given plenty of breaks to rest in the shade, so they don’t succumb to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

OSHA notes that 2,630 workers suffered from fully preventable heat illnesses in 2014, and 18 of these people died from heat stroke and related causes. Don’t let this happen to you or one of your workers.

Using the OSHA Heat Safety Tool is an easy way to help keep your team — or yourself — safe in periods of high temperatures. Worksites are filled with distractions, making it easy to forget to drink enough water or take breaks, so encourage everyone exposed to the elements to download this app.

The MAC Incorporated blog is your one-stop source for information on OSHA standards. Our niche-based recruiting and staffing firm specializes in the placement of top engineering, maintenance, and operations management professionals — and we want everyone to have a safe and healthy work environment. Contact us today to learn more!