Safety App Of The Week

June 1, 2015 No Comments

Below is our “Safety App of the Week”.  These weekly features are published every Monday.  New apps are tested on Apple iPads and rated from ♥ to ♥♥♥♥♥ (♥♥♥♥♥ is the best).  Prior app of the week articles are archived here.

OSHA Heat Safety Tool

(Version 2)

Official Description  

“Get the heat index for your work site and precautions to prevent heat illness.

When you’re working in the heat, safety comes first. With the OSHA Heat Safety Tool, you have vital safety information available whenever and wherever you need it — right on your mobile phone.

The App allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers. Then, with a simple tap, you can get reminders about the protective measures that should be taken at that risk level to protect workers from heat-related illness—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 illness.
Stay informed and safe in the heat, check your risk level.
For more information about safety while working in the heat, see OSHA’s heat illness webpage, including new online guidance about using the heat index to protect workers.

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What’s New in Version 2

Our app has been redesigned to provide:
* a more modern look and feel
* improved accessibility
* compatibility with iOS 8
* and compatibility with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus“¹

Thumbs Up

• cost is free and there are no distracting advertisements
• no registration or sign in required
• well-organized, good navigation, don’t need instructions to use
• automatically calculates the heat index at your location
• the “more info” button on the lower right takes you to additional information on heat stress “signs & symptoms” and “1st Aid”

Thumbs Down

• temperature units are only available in degrees Fahrenheit (F), for a similar heat index that offers both F and Celsius (C) click here
• this over simplified, dumbed down heat stress evaluation is not what OSHA uses when conducting a heat stress survey.  OSHA’s technical manual prescribes a much more comprehensive heat stress evaluation protocol that involves collecting and evaluating:  Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index (WBGT), solar radiation load, wind velocity, worker’s clothing, work/rest regimen, and workload.
• good app for workers and supervisors to use, but safety professionals should use the more comprehensive heat stress evaluation protocol prescribed in the OSHA technical manual

Overall Rating

• iPad / iPhone – ♥♥♥
• Android – not available
• Overall – OSHA recently updated this app, the new version is better than the old version so I have upgraded my prior rankings by one ♥

¹ Descriptions courtesy of Apple Inc.

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