
Region 4 News Release: 13-1012-ATL (112)
May 30, 2013
Contact: Michael D'Aquino Lindsay Williams
Phone: 404-562-2076 404-562-2078
Email: d'aquino.michael@dol.gov williams.lindsay.l@dol.gov
May 30, 2013
Contact: Michael D'Aquino Lindsay Williams
Phone: 404-562-2076 404-562-2078
Email: d'aquino.michael@dol.gov williams.lindsay.l@dol.gov
US Department of Labor's OSHA announces June 4 safety stand-down at
work sites throughout Southeast to focus on heat-related illnesses and injuries
work sites throughout Southeast to focus on heat-related illnesses and injuries
ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of
Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, along with trade
associations and employers throughout Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, will conduct a
one-hour safety stand-down at construction sites and workplaces on
Tuesday, June 4, to raise awareness about the dangers of working in the
summer heat. Workers will voluntarily stop work from 7 to 8 a.m. EDT to
conduct safety training focused on the symptoms of heat-related
illnesses and preventive steps to take while working in the hot weather.
Every year, thousands of workers nationwide suffer
from serious heat-related illnesses. If not quickly addressed, heat
exhaustion can become heat stroke, which has killed - on average - more
than 30 workers annually since 2003. Labor-intensive activities in hot
weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can
be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash
or heat cramps. It can quickly become heat exhaustion and then heat
stroke if simple prevention steps are not followed.
"This stand-down is intended for all those working
in hot weather, such as workers in agriculture, construction, baggage
handling, roofing and landscaping, and others who work outdoors," said
Teresa Harrison, OSHA's acting regional administrator for the Southeast.
"It is the employer's responsibility to protect workers from injury and
illness."
In preparation for the summer season, OSHA has
developed heat illness educational materials in English and Spanish, as
well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training. Additionally, a
Web page provides information and resources on heat illness, including
how to prevent it and what to do in case of an emergency, for workers
and employers. The page is available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html.
OSHA has released a free application for mobile
devices that enables workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index
at their work sites. The app displays a risk level for workers based on
the heat index, as well as reminders about protective measures that
should be taken at that risk level. Available for Android-based
platforms, Blackberry and the iPhone, the app can be downloaded in both
English and Spanish by visiting http://s.dol.gov/RI.
You can register for the stand-down event at the Associated General Contractors of America Inc. Georgia branch's website, at http://www.agcga.org/cs/safety_stand_down_program/safety_stand_down_on_heat_illnesses_june_25_2013
An informational flyer and toolbox, in English and Spanish, are also available on the website.
Members of the public interested in more information
about OSHA's heat illness prevention campaign or to obtain copies of
heat illness prevention-related publications should contact their local
OSHA Office. To locate an OSHA office, visit http://www.osha.gov/html/RAmap.html.