Every year, dozens of workers are killed by heat, and thousands more experience heat-related illnesses. With summer heat on the rise across the nation, workers and employers are turning to OSHA’s Heat Safety Tool for help staying safe in the heat. The App allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers. In addition, it provides reminders about protective measures that should be taken at that risk level to protect against heat-related illnesses. In all, more than 148,000 users have downloaded this life-saving app since its launch.

In a July 7 article in The Washington Post, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels explained employers’ obligation to protect construction crews, road workers, farm workers, trash collectors and others who are working outdoors this summer in high heat — including temporary workers who often are not used to working in heat and need to be acclimated. The Post article highlighted OSHA’s interactive map that plots heat-related fatalities among outdoor workers between 2008 and 2013.

OSHA, state and local government and corporate representatives met in Phoenix on July 1 to promote OSHA’s “Water. Rest. Shade.” campaign.  As temperatures soared well past 100 degrees in Phoenix on July 1, OSHA staff joined representatives from the Phoenix City Council, Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar Advertising, Christy Signs, the American Society of Safety Engineers, and the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health to promote OSHA’s “Water. Rest. Shade.” campaign. Lamar and Clear Channel have posted heat campaign billboards across the country.

For more information and free resources, visit OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention page. To order quantities of OSHA’s heat illness educational materials in English or Spanish, call OSHA’s Office of Communications at (202) 693-1999.