With new OSHA heat stress regulations on the horizon, it is important to know how they can affect your organization. Perry Weather monitors heat stress on-site and sends an alert when the heat exceeds OSHA’s recomendations, keeping your team safe from the heat.
Heat exposure in the workplace endangers millions of U.S. workers annually, causing thousands of illnesses with several cases ending in fatality. OHSA provides the following recommendations to combat the heat and stay safe in indoor and outdoor settings.
OSHA recommends employers implement a comprehensive heat illness prevention plan, educating workers on the risks, symptoms, and preventive measures of heat stress. Employers should also be prepared to respond to an incident, developing procedures to recognize symptoms of heat stress, apply first aid, and contact emergency medical services.
Implement work/rest schedules based on the temperature, amount of PPE worn during certain tasks and amount of exposure. More strenuous tasks should be scheduled during cooler parts of the day and consistent hydration or rest breaks should be given during hotter hours.
The implementation of engineering controls can lead to reduced heat exposure. Adding air conditioning or ventilation systems, shaded or cool rest areas, and reflective or heat-dissipating clothing can each be an effect approach.
OSHA recommends a few measurement methods for monitoring heat stress including heat index and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT.) Although there is not yet a policy mandating the use of WBGT, OSHA prefers WBGT when monitoring heat stress and accounts for temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation.
Perry Weather uses a 3.5-inch black globe sensor to measure WBGT, unlike handheld Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) devices which use a smaller black globe. This leads to fluctuating measurements which are often higher, reducing the amount of time that workers can continue their labor.
Once Perry Weather determines that heat conditions have broke OSHA guidelines, it sends an alert to your team with a custom message letting them know exactly what they need to do. Depending on conditions this could mean taking a hydration break at predetermined intervals or a longer rest break in a climate controlled area.
Perry Weather records historical weather data allowing you to determine weather incidents were caused by heat stress from the on-site conditions and prove to stakeholders that conditions prevented your team from working during a given time.
OSHA is aggressively developing additional regulations and initiatives to comprehensively address heat stress. The proposed standard would apply to all employers in the general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors conducting both outdoor and indoor work under OSHA’s jurisdiction.
Employers would be required to develop a plan to handle heat risks. This plan should include safety rules, a heat safety leader, input from workers, and yearly reviews.
Employers must check for heat risks both outside and inside. This involves monitoring weather forecasts, measuring heat levels, and creating a plan with worker feedback.
Employers must have procedures in place for responding to heat-related illnesses and emergencies. This includes immediate actions and emergency response planning to protect employees from severe heat exposure.
The proposed rule mandates initial and annual refresher training for supervisors, heat safety coordinators, and employees. Additionally, employers must maintain records of on-site measurements at indoor work areas for six months, ensuring compliance and safety.
OSHA’s proposed rule includes an initial heat trigger and a high heat trigger that each requires certain actions be taken. The initial heat trigger is a heat index of 80°F or WBGT equal to NIOSH’s recommended alert limit, while the high heat trigger is a heat index of 90°F or WBGT equal to NIOSH’s Recommended Exposure Limit.
We’ll cover the implications of these new OSHA heat safety guidelines, and the importance of heat safety for workers, organizations, and the country as a whole. We’ll also explore the best ways to comply with the latest regulations and best practices.
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Perry Weather’s web and mobile app keeps you informed of heat risks for the day and what decisions to take based on your policies, so you can keep your workers safe.
Automatic instructive alerts and warnings that are triggered based on your policies, keeping you compliant and confident in your decision-making so everyone on your staff knows exactly what to do when the temperature is too high.
On-site weather stations equipped with 3.5-inch black globe sensors provide precise weather data from all your facilities.
Get heat and WBGT risk updates based on your policies, so you can plan ahead and adjust activities accordingly.
Push notifications and text message alerts with automatic action instructions once WBGT threshold is breached.
Perry Weather sends heat and WBGT risk updates ahead of time, assuring that incidents are reduced and that your team stays safe from the incoming weather conditions. based on your policies, so you’re not caught by surprise and are able to adjust outdoor activities accordingly.
Perry Weather automates the process of monitoring Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) by recording its values every 15 minutes, eliminating the need for manual note-taking or logging.
Handheld WBGT devices often read higher than Perry Weather, leading to less time working even when conditions might not be hazardous. This is due to the smaller size of the black globe sensor on handheld devices. Here’s how Perry Weather is different:
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We’ll build a quote for your organization. Quotes can vary based on a variety of factors like number of units, number of users, and other optional hardware options. You can rest assured that we’ll design a solution that fits your budget. Talk with our team to learn more.
Free weather apps are great for everyday personal use, but extremely limited for use in industries like solar, gas, and construction.
You can’t build weather safety policies that notify your organization about what actions need to be taken in a weather safety situation. The data can be up to an hour old and coming from the nearest airport miles away, often painting a dramatically different picture than the true conditions at your site. Learn more by talking with our team.
Many of our customers came from using other systems and haven’t looked back. Let us tell you why.
Handheld devices certainly have a place, but instructions must be followed closely, and those instructions are prone to human error (versus standalone, permanent devices). Additionally, handhelds only address one problem in the bigger picture of weather safety.
Perry Weather gives you a complete weather safety toolkit to monitor a wide spectrum of weather conditions from lightning to wind chill, keep your team on the same page through policy-driven alerts, and automatically log historical on-site conditions for simple reporting.
Our platform includes outdoor warning system(s) and an on-site weather station. Without an outdoor warning system, you’re depending on your staff to always be on-site and constantly checking their phones for notifications, which may not be possible at all times. Without an on-site weather station, conditions will be pulled from the nearest government weather station, typically located at an airport. This data can be up to an hour old and miles away from your location. Talk with our team to find out whether on-site hardware makes sense for your organization.
We have your back. Our team of full-time meteorologists are on-call and ready to answer your questions over text message, phone, or email. Whether you’re trying to make a go/no-go decision based on weather, need a custom forecast, or simply need to know when a lightning delay will end, we’re ready to help.
