Many areas throughout the country saw their hottest temperatures of the year over the weekend. In response to the forecasts, OSHA issued a reminder to employers about the dangers of heat illness.

OSHA has lead a campaign for heat illness prevention since 2011 and has a very simple message: Water. Rest. Shade. They suggest taking frequent water breaks, about every 15 minutes, in extreme heat situations. Employers should develop an emergency plan, train workers on heat exposure hazards, and allow workers to build a tolerance to working in the heat. Those that are new to working in the heat are more susceptible to being affected by heat illness.

OSHA and NIOSH launched a smartphone application called the OSHA NIOSH Heat Safety Tool last year. Not only does it provide an hourly forecast of heat index, it determines whether your area is at minimal, low, moderate, high, or extreme risk and offers suggestions for precautions to take and tips for first aid. The app is free and can be downloaded for both Android and Apple devices.

There are a few great free tool box talk documents available, including an OSHA QuickCard on Heat Stress and CPWR Toolbox Talk on Hot Environments. Both are available in both English and Spanish.

We recently released our picks for products that can help provide relief from the heat. You can find the article titled “7 Products to Help Keep You Cool and Hydrated on the Construction Site” by clicking the link.

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Last summer, Hilti announced that they had developed their first exoskeleton designed for construction tradespeople in a partnership with Ottobuck, a prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeleton provider. Earlier this month, Hilti officially released the exoskeleton, announced more details, and published its retail price on their website.

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May 25, 2021

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[guest post] It’s a morbid statistic, but the construction industry experiences more workplace deaths than any other. With so many potential hazards, heavy-duty machinery, and power tools, it’s perhaps not surprising that serious accidents are relatively commonplace.

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[VIDEO] How Balfour Beatty is Handling COVID-19 Safety on the Jobsite

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Doosan Announces Industry First “Transparent Bucket” to Wheel Loader to Eliminate Blind Spots

Mar 15, 2021

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Mar 8, 2021

Cool Tools: World’s First Dry Cut 7-1/2” Portable Tile Saw

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National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Starts May 3

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Feb 23, 2021

Finally, an Air-Conditioned Hard Hat is on the Horizon

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Feb 1, 2021

The 7 Biggest Construction Safety Stories of 2020

Feb 1, 2021

2020 was a challenging year in many respects, but none greater than from a safety standpoint. The coronavirus pandemic placed the notion of “people over profits” under the microscope, while also balancing the needs of their employees to continue to make an income under difficult circumstances. While the pandemic was a large part of the construction safety conversation last year, there were several other developments to take note of for your projects in the future.

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