OSHA invites employers and workers to use its new Heat Safety Tool smartphone app, the first developed by OSHA. The app is designed for devices using an Android platform, and versions for BlackBerry and iPhone users will be released shortly. The app, which can be downloaded for free in English orSpanish, allows users to calculate their worksite heat index, determined by a combination of high temperature and humidity. Based on the heat index, the app displays a risk level to outdoor workers. With a simple click, the user can access reminders about the measures that should be taken at the indicated risk level to protect the user from heat-related illness. Users are prompted with reminders about drinking enough fluids, scheduling rest breaks, planning for and knowing what to do in an emergency, adjusting work operations, gradually building up the workload for new workers, training on heat illness signs and symptoms, and monitoring each other for signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

OSHA also issued a new Web-based tool, "Using the Heat Index: Employer Guidance," that instructs employers about using the heat index to calculate and address risks posed to workers.

See the news release, in English or Spanish, for more information on both the app and the heat index.