The United States Department of Labor (DOL) wants to remind Midwest employers that workers need protection from dangers caused by heat illness, both indoors and outdoors.
Employers should not ignore these issues as temperatures start to go up in the region, a DOL news release said this week. It also reminded people that “Water. Rest. Shade.” can be the difference between a safe workday and an unsafe one.
"Whether in a farm field or a manufacturing plant, workers must be protected from the dangers of heat illness in hot environments," Jennifer Rous, OSHA regional administrator in Denver, said in the release.
Rous also compared past heat campaigns to the one taking place this year.
“In the past several years, OSHA’s heat safety campaign has been intently focused on raising awareness of the related dangers, our recent National Emphasis Program is reaching out to unions, employers in targeted industries and other organizations to protect workers most often exposed to heat illness and injuries," she said.
The campaign views water, rest and shade as the three keys to avoiding heat-based injuries, the release said. Specifically, workers should drink water every 15 minutes, and they should be trained to deal with heat-driven illness and injuries.
