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With summer quickly approaching, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is releasing a mobile phone app that might help workers avoid heat related illnesses. The “Heat Safety Tool” app helps workers calculate the heat index at their place of employment and provides information for monitoring themselves and others for signs of heat illness.
The higher the heat index provided by the app, the more severe the risk level of suffering from a heat-related illness. Fortunately, the app provides information to avoid heat-related illnesses at each risk level.
How does an app like this work? By collecting weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the app can provide workers with a real-time view of heat conditions. The data from the NOAA is then used by the app to help workers assess the danger of their work environments.
According to an OSHA administrator, workers with jobs outside, such as construction workers, roofers and landscapers, are the most at-risk. Outdoor workers will reap the greatest benefits offered by the Heat Safety Tool app.
Employers also play a primary role in providing a safe work environment. During warm temperatures, employers can help workers stay safe by providing plenty of drinking water and allowing for frequent breaks.
How Dangerous Are Heat-Related Illnesses?
Heat-related illnesses can be fatal if immediate medical attention is not received. For example, a heat stroke can overheat and dehydrate the body, causing death or permanent brain damage.
Workers injured by a heat stroke or other heat-related illnesses might have options for receiving workers’ compensation. Calling an attorney costs nothing and can help workers find out what options will best suit their needs.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC – Columbus Workers’ Comp Lawyer
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