Officials with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are working to combat extreme heat temperatures as road work gets underway in the state.
According to OSHA, extreme heat is considered a workplace hazard. The agency added that water, rest, and shade are most the important resources for those who work outside.
“We’re looking out for each other, most work sites, the safest workplaces is — everybody is looking out for each other’s health,” said Larry Hunt, Tennessee OSHA assistant commissioner, in a statement.
Tennessee OSHA said they speak to employers every year about the risks heat can bring.
“Train your employees, let them know what your requirements are, let them know if you, again, some employers will let their employees start earlier in the cooler hours of the day, everything that the employer can do that they will allow the employees to do – empower them to help take care of themselves,” said Hunt.
For some employees, working outside is unavoidable, like for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
“During these extreme hot weather conditions, we want to make sure our workers are staying safe,” said Mark Nagi, TDOT spokesperson in a statement.
Many employers said hydration is key when it comes to keeping their workers safe in the summer.
Besides typical methods of supplying water, and a place for rest and shade, TDOT uses another method to keep their employees safe.
“When at all possible, we’ll get this done earlier in the day or after hours so it’s not in the peak hot weather time of the day,” said Nagi.
In a statement to 6 News, USPS also said they train their employees on Heat Illness Prevention before they can start working for the Postal Service.
Source: WATE.com, Ground.news
