We are now entering the heat-filled days of summer, which means that the Heat Index is going up in most areas of the country, which could lead to possible health-related issues related to your installers working outdoors, if they’re not properly addressed.
According to OSHA, outdoor workers who are exposed to hot and humid conditions are at risk of heat-related illness. The risk of heat-related illness becomes greater as the weather gets hotter and more humid. This situation is particularly serious when hot weather arrives suddenly early in the season, before workers have had a chance to adapt to warm weather.
They write, “For people working outdoors in hot weather, both air temperature and humidity affect how hot they feel. The ‘heat index’ is a single value that takes both temperature and humidity into account. The higher the heat index, the hotter the weather feels, since sweat does not readily evaporate and cool the skin. The heat index is a better measure than air temperature alone for estimating the risk to workers from environmental heat sources.”
To read OSHA’s advice on how to use the Heat Index to protect workers, preparing for and responding to heat-related emergencies, and monitoring works at risk of heat-related illness, click here.
