Safety Phone App For Outdoor Workers

There is a tool to help employees and employers understand heat situations and risk levels. A Smartphone app is now available for outdoor workers to calculate the heat index for their work site and displays risk level based on the heat index.

The free app is offered by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

It is available for both Android and iPhones and can be accessed in both English and Spanish.

The tool provides reminders about measures that should be taken at each risk level to protect workers. These reminders include:

 

  • Drinking enough fluids
  • Scheduling rest breaks
  • Planning for and knowing what to do in an emergency
  • Adjusting work operations
  • Gradually building up to the workload for new workers
  • Training on heat illness signs and symptoms
  • Monitoring each other for signs and symptoms

Download the app here: www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html

In 2011, 61 workers died nationally from heat-related injuries and illnesses. The same year, Indiana workers experienced 100 cases of non-fatal injuries and illnesses related to heat exposure.