To help employers and workers working outdoors stay safe throughout the summer months, OSHA offers advice that can help prevent heat-related deaths, illnesses and injuries.

  • “Working Outdoors” is an OSHA fact sheet that offers advice on ways to protect against exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV), precautions to take if working in extreme heat, and how to protect against Lyme Disease and the West Nile Virus. The fact sheet also offers information links for teenagers working at summer jobs.

  • OSHA's “Heat Stress Card” lists tips and precautions to prevent many heat-related deaths and injuries. Available in English and Spanish, this laminated fold-up card is free to employers to distribute to their workers. It offers a quick reference about heat-related injuries, including warning signs, symptoms and early treatment.

  • “Protecting Yourself Against Harmful Sunlight” is a pocket card that explains how to perform self-examinations to detect early stages of skin cancer. The card, available in English and Spanish, also describes common physical features of skin cancer that can be caused by exposure to the sun.

    The publications can be downloaded from OSHA's web site (www.osha.gov) on the publications page or can be ordered by calling OSHA's publications office at (202) 693-1888.