What first comes to your mind when thinking about occupational heat hazards? Many will think about outdoor work in the summertime. The 2023 summer season has greeted us with extreme heat advisories, watches, and warnings. By late June, more than a third, or 36% of the U.S. population, was covered by one of these heat alerts on a single day! You don’t need to wait until June or be outside to consider heat when developing your job hazard analysis (JHA).  OSHA fatality reports from 2017 to 2022 show 118 heat-related […]

Co-written by: Dr. Thomas Bernard, University of South Florida Faculty andDavid Ashman, USF SafetyFlorida Safety Consultant Although summer has officially ended and autumn is here, the hot weather has been relentless in the sunshine state, especially in the southern region. The blistering heat has broken record highs this year alone. Those working outside in construction or agriculture are especially at risk. Workers’ exposed to extreme heat are at greater risk of heat-related disorders like heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Employers and employees must know the signs and symptoms of heat […]