Updated app protect workers from heat-related injury
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Admin. (OSHA) have collaborated to update OSHA’s Heat Safety Tool (photo), which is designed to keep employees safe when working outdoors in extreme temperatures. Extreme heat causes more deaths than any other weather-related hazard, according to the agency. The app helps workers exposed to hot and humid conditions to check the heat index in the user’s location, and shows the current risk level. The app, which now has a clearer user interface, forecasts the hourly heat index throughout the entire workday, giving employers information they can use to adjust the work environment or hours to protect workers. — U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Admin., Washington, D.C.