WorldWide Drilling Resource

29 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JULY 2015 Tools to Help Workers Beat the Heat Adapted from Information by the U.S. Department of Labor Whether out on an oil rig, or out on a jobsite drilling a well, it is important to protect workers from the elements, and this summer is no exception. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wants to raise awareness and educate workers, as well as employers about the dangers of working in hot weather. Thousands of employees become sick each year and even die from working in the heat. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that can normally be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash or heat cramps, but can quickly escalate to heat exhaus- tion and even heat stroke if simple pre- ventative measures are not followed. Heat illness affects those who have not built up a tolerance to heat (acclimatization) even more so, and it is especially dangerous for new and temporary workers. Acclimatization is a physical change the body undergoes to build tolerance to heat, and it is a critical part of preventing heat illnesses and fatalities. Employers have a responsibility to provide work- places safe from recognized hazards, including outdoor heat. OSHA has developed heat illness educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as an informational Web site with facts and resources on heat illness, including how to prevent it and what to do in case of an emergency. OSHA also released a free applica- tion for mobile devices which enables work- ers and super- visors to monitor the heat index at work sites. The app dis- p l ays a r i sk level for work- ers based on the heat index, as well as tips about protec- tive measures to be taken at each risk level. 3"- 0)'! +#0* /'! /,,). '+ ./,!( '4#. 6 /, 6 +(. ,1* + 13 -"#+ ))#3 5 2 - 0!&*$% !,* 5 - 0!&*$% $-,+/'#-+#/ !,* ,"#) '4#. /#+/ + " #+"'+% Introduced in 2011, the app is avail- able for Android and iPhone and can be downloaded in English and Spanish at: www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_ index/heat_app.html