OSHA’s Recommendations to Curb Heat Illness

By National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). 

Protect your workers from hot weather hazards with these resources from OSHA. 

It is summer again and with the sun comes a higher chance of heat illness. Workers who spend most of their time outside, like roofing contractors, are at particular risk, so now is the time to learn about the dangers that come with warmer weather. Thankfully, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released some heat-related resources that can help protect your workers. Their Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers aims to educate workers and employers about heat-related illness and raise awareness on ways to prevent it.  

Thousands of employees become sick each year, and many even die from working in the heat. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that typically can be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash or heat cramps but quickly can escalate to heat exhaustion and then heat stroke if simple preventative measures are not followed. 

OSHA offers heat illness educational materials, as well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training, available in English and Spanish. Through training sessions, outreach events, informational sessions, publications, social media messaging and media appearances, millions of workers and employers have learned how to protect themselves and others from heat. OSHA’s safety message comes down to three key words: Water. Rest. Shade. 

Additionally, OSHA offers a webpage that provides information and resources regarding heat illness — including how to prevent it and what to do in case of an emergency — for workers and employers.  

OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also offer a free app for mobile devices that enables workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites. The app displays a risk level for workers based on the heat index, as well as reminders about protective measures that should be taken at that risk level. The app is available for Android-based platforms and iPhones and can be downloaded. 

Learn more about NRCA in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.nrca.net. 

Original article source: NRCA