We all know the story of the frog in the pot of water which is heated to a boil.  The frog slowly acclimates to the rising water temperature but never realizes it’s in danger. 

In many work environments the same thing is happening to your employees and before they know they’re in danger they are already suffering from heat illness.  Unfortunately, the first indication that an employee is in trouble, may already be a full-blown medical emergency. 

If you don’t have a documented policy, which complies with OSHA’s guidelines, and train your staff in the recognition and mitigation of the dangerous conditions, you could be liable for their injuries. It’s bad enough to lose the productivity of a worker but knowing that you are responsible for their injury or death would be almost unbearable.

The Index is more than just temperature. The Heat Index is computed from a formula which includes both humidity and temperature. The higher the humidity the lower the temperature needs to be to reach a dangerous level. Temperatures in the low 80s with high humidity results in an index over 100 and is classified as cautionary.  But temperatures in the low 90s with high humidity reaches the highest warning level and is classified as EXTREME DANGER.  Just 10 degrees difference in the temperature increases the danger from Cautionary to Extreme.

In some parts of the US, right now, temperatures are reaching 100 degrees by 8 AM and even if it’s dry heat, (relatively low humidity) working in that environment is classifies as DANGEROUS to EXTREMELY DANGEROUS depending on the humidity. 

So, what are you doing to reduce the hazards in these dangerous working conditions? 

At the very least, you need to continuously monitor the temperature and the humidity and calculate the heat index throughout the day.  If/when the index reaches a cautionary, dangerous, or extreme danger level, you must notify your staff and give them opportunities to lower their body temperature. This includes access to shade or a cooler environment, misting tent, ample cool water, and extra rest periods. OSHA has established these guidelines as the bare minimum to reduce the risk of heat illness but even this may not be adequate for some vulnerable employees. An individual worker’s reaction to extreme heat may also depend on other variables like air circulation, employee health, the need to wear heavy protective apparel, direct sunlight, heat generating machinery, and their work assignments.

But the biggest danger to your staff is not knowing….

HeatAlert™ Monitoring Stations continually measure the temperature and humidity, calculates the index, and warns employees (with a visible warning light) as soon as the environment crosses the threshold to a dangerous level.  Employees are warned before they suffer a debilitating injury, so they can follow your SOP to lower their body temperature.

If you don’t have a written Heat Illness Mitigation SOP you can download a FREE REPORT which will help you define and implement your own company policy.  In the report, you’ll learn…. 

• What information to stress in employee training
• What OSHA recommends for worker safety
• What the real dangers are
• Who is at risk &
• Access valuable links to tools and information

Download your FREE REPORT to reduce your liability and prevent on-the-job heat injuries.

Every year over 3000 workers are injured or die from heat illnesses.

• a 30 year old mason
• a 35 year old foundry worker
• a 42 year old roofer

ALL DIED FROM HEAT ILLNESSES!