LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Thursday is the first official day of summer and as the hottest temperatures of the year are ahead in the next few months, OSHA is calling for action.
They want to make sure Nevada employers are protecting workers from the dangers of extreme heat.
“About 125-130 is the hottest we have seen on our job sites. Working in the Vegas heat, it is tough. A lot of people don’t realize if your ambient temperatures are at 100, 110 degrees and you are out here working on black rebar, working around structural steel it is 10-15 degrees hotter,” Colton Morano Safety Director at Sletten Construction shared. Morano says the heat dictates workflow during the summer.
“Anywhere in the desert ecosystem, you want to make sure that your guys are hydrated and taking breaks,” Morano contended.
A few months ago, they learned of the OSHA Heat Safety Tool, a free downloadable app, and now everyone on their team is using it.
“The guys don’t have to have an extra book or paperwork on them, they can pull out their phones, look at the app and it tells you the temperature, the relative humidity, and your risk factor of that area,” Morano reported.
“The app ranges from caution to warning to danger,” explained Zachary Barnett, Las Vegas Area Director of OSHA. OSHA is issuing a heat safety alert because the beginning of the hottest months of the year is the most dangerous time for workers. Nearly three out of four heat illness fatalities happen during the first week of work in extreme heat.
“When workers aren’t properly acclimated to the environment, that is when they really have the highest levels of heat-related illness, and that is what we are trying to prevent,” Barnett revealed.
Barnett says federal law entitles you to safety in your workplace, and both employers and employees need to take precautions in extreme heat.
“If there is one message OSHA can get across for workers out there, it is water, rest, and shade,” Barnett stated.
The free OSHA Heat Safety Tool also details signs of heat-related illness and has first aid instructions. It is available in English and Spanish. For information on how to download it, visit this website: https://www.OSHA.gov/heat/heat-app
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