OSHA unveils new hot app

Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials had a message Wednesday for workers and others who expect to be outside working and playing as summer heats up: Shade, water and rest for safety. And if that’s too much to remember, OSHA has an app for that. The federal agency has actually had OSHA Heat app since 2011, but it recently unveiled an updated version of the free phone app that provides users with a heat index for a particular location and gives precautions to help prevent heat-related illnesses. The app has already helped educate and inform thousands on the dangers of extreme heat – including some in Arizona. “All our field personnel have the app,” said Josh Welp, safety director for Phoenix-based construction company Kitchell. “It gives them the information they need quickly and easily , which is exactly what they need.” Welp said the app helps his company teach its employees and contractors about symptoms of illness, gives risk levels and tools to help prevent heat-related illnesses from occurring in the first place. “It provides everything I need for what I’m looking for,” he said. Read more about the OSHA app in this article by the Cronkite News.