July is a quiet month for national health campaigns, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of health & safety messages that you should be talking about with your employees – for health & wellness both on and off the job. One key summer issue very much in evidence for much of the country over the past week is staying safe in extreme heat.
Here are some tools and resources that you might share with your employees:
Heat Safety App from the Department of Labor
When working in the heat, safety comes first. The OSHA Heat Safety Tool offers vital safety information right on a 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 “click,” 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.
OSHA’s Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers

  • The Educational Resources section links to information about heat illnesses and how to prevent them. Many of these resources target vulnerable workers with limited English proficiency and/or low literacy.
  • The Using the Heat Index section provides guidance to employers to develop a heat illness prevention plan.
  • The Training section includes a guide/lesson plan for employers and others to use in instructing workers on heat illness. There are links to additional resources in other languages.
  • The Media Resources section includes news releases, public service announcements (PSAs), drop-in articles about heat illness prevention that you can customize to share and campaign artwork.
  • The Fatality map shows locations of outdoor worker, heat-related fatalities between 2008 and 2012. It is not an exhaustive list of all worker fatalities from heat exposure. The map provides a geographic reminder that Water.Rest.Shade. are vital to providing a safe and healthful environment when working outdoors in the heat.

Using the Heat Index: A Guide for Employers
NIOSH Heat Stress
This site covers on-the-job prevention, symptoms, and treatment for heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, heat cramps, and heat rash
Other summer worker safety issues:
Young Worker Safety
Hazards to outdoor workers
Off the job: Family summer health & safety issues
Heat is also an important health and safety issue for your employees when they are off the job and with their families. Here are some useful links:

Other summer safety resources include:


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ESI EAP offers 24-7 access to counselors and a wide variety of support resources for employees and family members who are facing difficult health challenges. We also offer wellness benefits and health risk assessments, including discounts for weight loss programs, exercise and nutrition programs, and stop smoking programs. If you want to learn more about how ESI can provide more employee EAP benefits and more employer services, call us at 800-535-4841.

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