According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 2015 there were 2,905,900 recordable cases of workplace injuries and 4,836 workplace fatalities. All companies should have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) to help identify hazards in the workplace and protect all employees.
When activity levels increase or people are exposed to extreme environments, water is lost more rapidly and needs to be replaced more frequently. Maintaining adequate hydration levels in the body can help avoid both acute and chronic health problems ranging from minor headaches to death.
Besides being a workplace best practice, providing crews with shade is the law in some states. State regulations in California, state regulations dictate that employers must provide shade to 100% of employees on break once the temperature hits 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
OSHA has cited a Florida construction company after one of its employees died from heat exposure while working at a residential site in Jacksonville.
Middleburg-based Southeastern Subcontractors Inc. failed to protect its workers from the dangerous hazards of working outdoors in extreme heat, according to OSHA, which issued the one serious citation for exposing employees to heat-related injuries, and one other-than-serious violation for failing to report a workplace fatality to OSHA within 8 hours of its occurrence.
With the buildup to the fast-approaching construction season comes a renewed awareness of the hazards faced by construction crews, along with interest in the education, training and technology needed to help mitigate them.
As a historic winter continues to keep much of North America locked in a deep freeze, the opposite extremes of summer may seem like a welcome respite to many. But for those making their living in the elements (and high-temperature indoor environments), the summer heat offers no break from on-the-job hazards, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 39 deaths and over 4,000 injuries related to heat stress in 2016.
The new Portacool Hurricane™ 360 is a modern cooling marvel. This evaporative cooler combines high velocity and state-of-the-art, patent-pending cooling technology to provide impressive temperature drops.
Winter across the world brings with it a variety of weather conditions. From the biting cold, snow, rain and wind of the Northern Hemisphere to the scorching temperatures and humidity of the Southern Hemisphere, it pays to be fully prepared for this winter season.
Climate change is already harming human health in ways that are “far worse than previously understood,” according to a new report in The Lancet, a prestigious British medical journal.
"Climate change is happening, and it's a health issue today for millions worldwide,” said Anthony Costello, co-chair of The Lancet Countdown, the commission that produced the report.
Firefighters aren’t the only workers who are exposed to smoke from California’s wildfires. Employees who are working in outdoor areas in proximity to wildfire smoke – which can contain chemicals, gases and fine particles that can harm health – must also be protected, according to Cal/OSHA.
