Podemos Ayudar: OSHA publishes updated Spanish-language website

OSHA has redesigned and updated its Spanish-language version of the agency's website to include the most up-to-date safety and health information and to inform workers and employers of their rights and responsibilities under the law. Like the English homepage, the site now includes a set of rotating images highlighting the latest news and agency activities, and prominently features workers' rights and steps to take if workers have concerns about their safety and health in the workplace. As OSHA continues to expand the number of resources available in Spanish, the site will be updated with links to those materials to provide a dynamic and timely safety and health resource for workers and employers. The site is available at http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/spanish/index.html.

Protecting workers engaged in Sandy recovery operations: New fact sheet on mold hazards and safeguards for workers

As of Dec. 12, OSHA's education and training efforts have reached over 60,000 workers engaged in recovery efforts in communities affected by superstorm Sandy. More than 7,000 workers have been removed from safety and health hazards because of these efforts.

One potential health hazard to workers in the recovery is mold. Remediation of mold-contaminated building materials and surfaces may cause workers to become sickened or injured if employers don’t know the hazards of mold; develop an effective mediation plan; use effective controls, work practices and personal protective equipment; or train employees to recognize and protect themselves against mold. To help provide information on mold hazards, OSHA has released a new Mold Hazards during Hurricane Sandy Cleanup Fact Sheet (PDF*). Additional guidance, fact sheets (including a Personal Protective Equipment Matrix (PDF*) that shows what equipment is necessary to keep workers safe) and other information can be found on OSHA's Hurricane Sandy web page.

New educational resource on healthcare worker, patient safety

On November 20, the Joint Commission released a new, free educational resource, "Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation." The purpose of this resource is to raise awareness and educate health care managers, employers and employees on the need for a healthcare culture focused on the safety of both patients and the workers who care for them.

The monograph contends that high rates of injuries and illnesses among health care workers serve as a warning that the health care environment as a whole must be transformed in order to improve safety. The monograph highlights examples of health care organization practices that address patient and worker safety simultaneously and the benefits and potential cost savings attained through collaboration between employee and patient safety departments. The monograph also identifies functional management systems and processes, strategies and tools that have been used to successfully integrate health and safety activities. For more information, read the monograph in full and visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics page on Healthcare.

OSHA releases fact sheet on internal combustion engines as ignition sources

Investigations by OSHA and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) have documented a history of fires and explosions at workplaces (oilfields, refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities) where an internal combustion engine was identified as or suspected to be the source of ignition. Internal combustion engines present an ignition hazard when used in facilities processing flammable liquids and gases. If flammable vapors or gases are released in these facilities, an internal combustion engine could ignite the flammable materials with catastrophic consequences. OSHA’s new Internal Combustion Engines as Ignition Sources Fact Sheet (PDF*) helps employers and workers understand the risks involved in the use of internal combustion engines, as well as some of the control strategies that should be used to prevent such catastrophic events.

New OSHA website provides information on preventing backover incidents in construction

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011. A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. OSHA has published a new Preventing Backovers webpage that provides information about the hazards of backovers; solutions that can reduce the risk or frequency of these incidents; articles and resources; and references to existing regulations and letters of interpretation.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis visits Staten Island, NY, to highlight efforts to protect workers engaged in Sandy recovery operations

Secretary Solis traveled to some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods of New York City with OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab on Thursday, Nov. 29, to meet with worker groups and others involved in rebuilding communities in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy and observe some of the recovery efforts that are currently underway. The massive response to the devastation has brought together government, worker advocates, unions, public and private employers, and community and faith-based organizations, and OSHA continues to conduct comprehensive monitoring and training to ensure that workers are protected from the serious health and safety hazards involved in the operations. 

With workers still at risk of serious safety and health hazards, these efforts remain extremely urgent. OSHA is focused on high hazard operations such as debris removal, utility restoration, and clearing trees, conducting interventions that have reached more than 15,000 workers, with an emphasis on limited-English-proficiency and vulnerable workers. OSHA is distributing information on some of the most common safety and health hazards workers face, including (PDFs*) downed electrical wires, chain saws, chipper machines, portable generators, mold and falls.

All of these materials are collected at a single site: Keeping Workers Safe during Hurricane Sandy Cleanup and Recovery, which is also available in Spanish. Two new fact sheets have been recently added to the website and are being distributed to workers and employers: Keeping Workers Safe during Hurricane Sandy Cleanup and Recovery Fact Sheet (PDF*, available in Spanish) and the Hurricane Sandy Cleanup PPE Matrix Fact Sheet (PDF*). The site also includes OSHA's Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix, which provides information on many of the tasks and operations associated with disaster response and recovery and the most common and significant hazards that response and recovery workers might encounter. The matrix is designed to help employers make decisions during their risk assessments that will protect their workers doing work in hurricane–impacted areas. To order fact sheets and other hurricane recovery safety and health publications, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

OSHA urges retail employers to protect workers from injuries during holiday sales with safe crowd management planning

In 2008, a New York worker was trampled to death while a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors of a large store at the opening of a "Black Friday" sale. OSHA is encouraging retail employers to take precautions to prevent this type of tragedy during major sales events this holiday season. This year, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels has sent a letter to the CEOs of major retail employers urging them to follow common-sense crowd control measures to prevent worker injuries. OSHA has prepared a set of guidelines to help retail employers and store owners avoid injuries during the holiday shopping season, or other events where large crowds may gather. See OSHA's Crowd Management Safety Guidelines Fact Sheet for more information. Crowd management planning should begin in advance of events that are likely to draw large crowds, and crowd management, pre-event setup, and emergency situation management should be part of that plan.

Crowd management plans should include: trained security personnel or police officers on-site, barricades or rope lines for pedestrians provided well in advance of customers arriving at the store, barricades so the customers’ line does not begin at the immediate entrance of the store, emergency procedures in place that address potential dangers, and security personnel or customer service representatives available to explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public.

See the news release for more information.

Updated training and educational resources available from OSHA's Fall Prevention Campaign website

Plan. Provide. Train. These three simple steps can prevent falls and save lives. OSHA's fall prevention campaign website provides several training resources and educational resources to assist workers and employers in preventing falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs. These pages have been updated with additional materials from OSHA's campaign partners, including new Spanish-language resources on ladders and other equipment.

To order these or any of OSHA's fall prevention materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

Protect emergency response and cleanup workers assisting in Hurricane Sandy recovery operations

As the disaster recovery response to Hurricane Sandy begins throughout much of the Eastern United States, OSHA's field staff is working diligently to provide assistance and support to those involved in the recovery effort. OSHA urges workers and members of the public engaged in cleanup activities to be aware of the hazards they might encounter and the necessary steps they should take to protect themselves.

OSHA maintains comprehensive websites on keeping disaster site workers safe during hurricane and storm cleanup and flood response operations. The hurricane page includes a response/recovery page features a link to OSHA’s Hurricane eMatrix, which features information on hazard exposures and risk assessments for hurricane response and recovery work. The flood preparedness and response page also includes aresponse/recovery page that provides useful details on the hazards to avoid when flooding has occurred. The sites also provide extensive resources on protecting recovery workers, including a Hurricane Sandy safety and health resource page from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. For more information, read OSHA's press release on the Hurricane Sandy response.

Help OSHA evaluate its heat illness prevention campaign website with a short survey

OSHA has developed a 15-minute survey to evaluate the usefulness of the heat illness website and to identify possible updates to the website. (OSHA's heat illness prevention campaign website.)  The brief survey will not collect personal information from visitors – only opinions and evaluations of the campaign. Did you use the educational resources on the web? Were the materials useful for the work you do? Let us know!

The survey can be accessed from the heat campaign homepage (by clicking "Tell us what you think") or by visiting http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HeatWebpageSurvey. There, you can also find PSAs in English and Spanish, posters and fact sheets in English or Spanish, a heat fatality map, and OSHA's Heat Safety Tool mobile app.

Updated OSHA brochure provides workers and employers with information on the deadly risks of distracted driving

More workers are killed every year in motor vehicle crashes than any other cause. Distracted driving dramatically increases the risk of such crashes. That's why OSHA has joined with the U.S. Department of Transportation, other Labor Department agencies and key associations and organizations to enlist the help and cooperation off businesses – large and small – in a nationwide effort to stop the dangerous practice of texting while driving. OSHA's revised brochure (PDF) explains the dangers of texting while driving on the job, and makes recommendations about what employers can do to keep workers safe. To order the brochure or any of OSHA's outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page. Visit the Department of Transportation's distracted driving page for more information.

Spanish-language version of popular OSHA-NIOSH nail gun guide now available

Nail Gun Safety - A Guide for Construction Contractors (PDF), a resource that helps construction employers and workers prevent work-related nail gun injuries, is now available in Spanish (PDF). Nail gun injuries are responsible for approximately 37,000 emergency room visits each year. Construction workers, particularly those in residential construction, use nail guns nearly every day. Although this tool is easy to operate and increases productivity, injuries occur as a result of unintended nail discharge; nails that bounce off a hard surface or miss the work piece and become airborne; and disabling the gun's safety features, among other causes. Injury prevention is possible if contractors take steps such as using full sequential trigger nail guns.

OSHA continues to expand its available resources in non-English languages to protect vulnerable workers in construction. Materials for this year’s fall prevention campaign are available (as *PDFs) in Spanish, Russian and Polish. To order these or many other outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

OSHA provides outreach webinar on GHS Standard to more than 8,000 participants

On August 13, OSHA and the Society of Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) hosted a free webinar to help employers understand the requirements of OSHA's revised Hazard Communication Standard in the United States. The archived presentation has now been viewed by more than 8,000 participants. Developed as part of OSHA's alliance with SCHC, the webinar explained changes to the Hazard Communication Standard to align with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). During the webinar, OSHA staff provided information that answered questions from chemical manufacturers, downstream users, and other interested parties. Topics included changes expected in training, labeling, and safety data sheets and compliance assistance opportunities.

To access the webinar, click https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1006847 and submit your e-mail address and information (if needed). You will receive a link with instructions on viewing the presentation or downloading the reference materials. To learn more about the revised Hazard Communication Standard and GHS, see OSHA's Hazard Communication page and read the QuickTakes special issue on GHS.

New from NIOSH: Safety resources for small businesses

NIOSH has issued a new Small Business Safety and Health Resource Guide, which is intended to assist small business owners as they seek out training materials, and recommendations for ensuring the safety and health of their workers. The resource guide includes sections on: general information, guides and courses, specific occupations and hazards, regulations, consultation services, and emergency preparedness. It also contains summaries of and links to more than 50 websites produced by commercial, academic, and government organizations.

New and revised online resources available to protect workers from combustible dust

OSHA has revised its webpage on the explosion hazards of combustible dust. The page is now organized in sections with tabs to make the page more user-friendly for both experienced and non-experienced viewers. The sections are arranged in logical order, beginning with guidance information that should be especially helpful to users unfamiliar with combustible dust hazards. Enhancements to this web page include additional links to reports issued by NIOSH and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.

Take the Worker Safety & Health Challenge before November 30

The deadline for submissions to the Department of Labor's Worker Safety and Health challenge has been extended until November 30. The challenge is to develop tools to educate young workers on safety and health hazards, what they can do to protect themselves and their rights in the workplace. Successful entries could take many different forms: interactive and informative games, social or professional networking sites, or data visualization tools that teach young people about safety and health hazards. Submissions may be designed for Internet browsers, smartphones, feature phones, social media platforms, or as native Windows or Macintosh applications.

A panel of judges that includes Secretary Hilda Solis, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, co-hosts of the popular Discovery Channel show "Myth Busters," will award $15,000 for the "Safety in the Workplace Innovator Award," $6,000 for the "Safety and Health Data Award" and $6,000 for the "Workers' Rights Award." There is also a "People's Choice Award" of $3,000 for the developer of the app that receives the most public votes on the website.

For more information, visit the challenge page, and read Dr. Michaels' blog.

Maritime Industry Outreach Trainers: OSHA announces new workplace safety training requirement

Individuals seeking authorization to become OSHA Maritime Industry Outreach Trainers must complete a new workplace safety and health course. Effective October 1, 2012, prospective maritime industry trainers must complete OSHA Course #5410 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Maritime Industry.

The OSHA Maritime courses focus on eliminating needless injuries and deaths by sharing methods of finding and fixing deadly industry hazards like falls, confined spaces, electrical hazards, machine guarding and welding/hot work. The new required course, developed by the OSHA Directorate of Training and Education and offered through authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, focuses on maritime industry standards related to longshoring, marine terminals, and shipyard employment. Prospective trainers can access the course, training locations, registration and other information on OSHA's searchable course schedule web page or visit the Outreach Training Program for the Maritime Industry Web page.

Register for our OSHA Course #5410 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Maritime Industry on April 8, 2013.

OSHA staff across the country teach how to save lives

Since launching the Preventing Falls in Construction campaign in April, OSHA's Regional and Area Offices have been getting the message of "Safety Pays, Falls Cost" out to tens of thousands of employers, workers and other stakeholders.

Across the country, OSHA's Free On-site Consultation Program and compliance assistance specialists have conducted more than one thousand workshops, presentations, site visits, and radio and TV interviews. OSHA's specialists have participated in phone banks, staffed information booths at community events, visited with foreign consulates, distributed educational materials, and conducted many other outreach activities to explain that falls can be prevented when employers follow a three-step process — Plan, Provide and Train.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, but these deaths are preventable. Learn more about OSHA's Fall Prevention campaign, and watch Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis' public service announcement at www.osha.gov/stopfalls. OSHA also has numerous educational resources available in multiple languages, including (PDF*) stickers,wallet cards, fact sheets, and posters. To order these or any of OSHA's outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

Intro to OSHA Outreach Trainer Resources

The OSHA Training Institute Education Center (OTIEC) is providing a 2-hour Introduction to OSHA Module. This module must be used by all Outreach Trainers who currently offer the 10 and 30hr Construction, General Industry and all Maritime Outreach Training.

The content covers the full range of workers’ rights, including the right to a safety and healthful workplace, the right to know about hazardous chemicals, the right to review information about injuries and illnesses in the workplace, the right to receive training, the right to participate in an OSHA inspection, and the right to be free from retaliation for exercising their safety and health rights. The curriculum is designated as “Required Content” to be used in these Outreach Training Programs. The module must be presented as developed with no substantive changes.

Download Link: May_2010_Intro_OSHA.zip

Stay safe with OSHA's Heat Safety Tool mobile app

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported that July was the hottest month in the United States since modern record-keeping began in 1895. Join the more than 49,000 others who have downloaded OSHA's Heat Safety Tool mobile app, available in English or Spanish, which provides vital safety information in these extreme temperatures — right on your mobile phone. Throughout the country, OSHA is on hand to provide expert guidance to workers and employers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather. For example, in recent weeks in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas, OSHA compliance officers have operated three phone banks in Spanish on local Univision stations, taking questions from the public and providing information on the campaign. To order any of OSHA's heat illness prevention materials in English or Spanish, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

Protecting workers from mercury exposure in fluorescent bulbs

OSHA has issued two new educational resources to help protect workers from mercury exposure. Fluorescent bulbs can release mercury and may expose workers when they are broken accidentally or crushed as part of the routine disposal or recycling process. A new OSHA QuickCard (PDF*) alerts employers and workers to the hazards of mercury and provides information on how to properly clean up accidently broken fluorescent bulbs to minimize workers’ exposures to mercury. In addition, a new fact sheet (PDF*) explains how workers may be exposed, what kinds of engineering controls and personal protective equipment they need, and how to use these controls and equipment properly. To order these or any other of OSHA's educational materials, visit OSHA's Publications page.

New searchable online course schedule makes it easy to find OSHA Training Institute Education Centers training opportunities

OSHA has added a new, user-friendly online searchable course schedule for OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center courses. The new course schedule allows prospective students to search for OTI training courses by organization, course title, state or date range. The schedule also allows users to search courses that offer professional development opportunities including Continuing Education Units and Certification Maintenance points. A registration link for the courses is provided along with query results. Registration is conducted directly through the respective OTI Education Center. The OTI Education Centers are a national network of nonprofit organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and health training to private sector workers, employers, supervisors, and managers. Training is offered through an open enrollment format and on a contract basis for organizations within OSHA's jurisdiction. The OTI Education Centers offer courses and seminars on a variety of safety and health topics.

OSHA and NIOSH join together to inform employers and workers on safe work practices when using cleaning chemicals

Workers who clean buildings, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and factories use a variety of cleaning chemicals that can pose health risks. Health effects from chemicals in cleaning products can range from skin rashes and burns to eye, nose and throat irritation, to cough and asthma. Many employers are switching to green cleaning products because they are thought to be less hazardous to workers and the environment. The new OSHA-NIOSH Infosheet, "Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals," (PDF*) provides employers with guidance on choosing safer cleaning products, safe work practices, worker training and better cleaning methods. The accompanying poster, "Protect Yourself: Cleaning Chemicals and Your Health," (PDF*) informs workers of the hazards of cleaning chemicals, symptoms and employer responsibilities. In addition to English, the poster is available (in PDF* format) in Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog.

New educational resources available to prevent falls in construction

Across the U.S. in 2010, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured as a result of falling while working from heights, and another 255 workers were killed. These falls are preventable with three simple steps: Plan. Provide. Train. OSHA is working with its partners at the National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) and Health and National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) to raise awareness among workers and employers about common fall hazards in construction, and how falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs can be prevented and lives can be saved.

New to the fall prevention campaign site is a training resources page, with links to training materials produced by OSHA, state and local government agencies, trade associations, and worker representatives. Falls can be prevented when workers understand proper set-up and safe use of equipment, so they need training on the specific equipment they will use to complete the job. Employers must train workers in hazard recognition and in the care and safe use ladders, scaffolds, fall protection systems, and other equipment they'll be using on the job.

OSHA's fall protection fact sheet has now been translated into Polish (PDF*) and Russian (PDF*). The translated materials can be downloaded in PDF format from OSHA’s fall prevention education materials page. To order any of OSHA's printed outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at (202) 693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

Water. Rest. Shade.

Tom McCarthy, Compliance Assistance Specialist

OSHA Tarrytown Area Office

Upright, bi-pedal, forward looking, binocular vision, opposable thumbs….these are characteristics we all possess that contribute to Homo Sapiens’ place as an apex predator. Sure, our advanced brains contribute to our evolutionary success, but have you ever considered the role played by the body’s cooling system? Consider ‘Persistence Hunting’: humans are capable of running after prey until the prey succumbs to heat exhaustion. How? Humans ‘thermoregulate’ by sweating; our prey can’t.

Our remarkable cooling system relies on the evaporation of sweat from our skin to maintain our core body temperature at a safe level when ambient temperatures soar. If this cooling system breaks down, we’re in serious trouble! Workers such as construction personnel, excavators, linemen, and mark out technicians* who labor in hot outdoor environments must remember to stay hydrated and get out of the sun for quick breaks during the day.

Water is our body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of our body weight. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when we don't have enough water in our body to carry out normal functions. Fact: If we’re thirsty, we’re already dehydrated. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. In 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 40 workers died due to heat-related causes and that 4,190 workers experienced heat illness.

It’s not just the sun that’s heating you up – it’s the work you do. As you work, your internal temperature rises as your body meets the metabolic demand you place on it. You’re being heated from the inside and the outside. Symptoms of heat illness include thirst, cramps, headaches, nausea, dizziness, weakness, heavy sweating and an increased body temperature. The symptoms of heat stress include confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, a very high body temperature and hot, dry skin or profuse sweating.

The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes the hazard, and has launched a National Heat Stress Initiative which is described at www.osha.gov. OSHA has even provided an app that you can download to your smartphone. The app combines temperature and humidity into a useful, easy to use heat index, so you can better gauge your heat risk.

Water. Rest. Shade. A simple, common sense strategy that could save your life.

References: www.osha.gov: * for more “at risk” occupations, see Heat Stress at OSHA’s web site Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research , 10/12/2011

OSHA offers free on-site assistance to small businesses

OSHA's On-site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Each year, responding to requests from small employers looking to create or improve their safety and health management programs, OSHA's On-site Consultation Program conducts over 29,000 visits to small business worksites covering over 1.5 million workers across the nation.
On-site consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing safety and health management programs. For more information, to find the local On-site Consultation office in your state, or to request a brochure on Consultation Services, visit www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult.html, or call 1-800-321-OSHA [6742].

New outreach and training resources for OSHA Fall Prevention Campaign

Falls from heights are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, but these deaths are preventable, and OSHA is working to educate workers and employers about Preventing Falls in Construction. 

OSHA has posted new media resources on its Fall Prevention page, including camera-ready drop-in art for publications. The new resources are available in English and Spanish, and in color as well as black and white. OSHA encourages media to use them to help get the message out to workers and employers that safety pays and falls cost. OSHA has also created new wallet cards as an easy, portable way to spread this lifesaving message of plan, provide and train to the people who need it most. The cards include an illustration of safe work from a roof, as well as a QR code to direct readers to OSHA's Fall Prevention page and educational resources. To order these or any of OSHA's outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at (202) 693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.

In addition, with the support of OSHA's Susan Harwood Grant Program, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America is offering a one-day training program on Fall Protection on July 10 in Washington, D.C. The course, which is free and open to the public, was developed in collaboration with OSHA and reflects OSHA standards and best practices. Topics will include fall protection statistics, OSHA standards, fall hazard identification, fall protection systems and equipment, and training requirements. To register, visit the AGC enrollment page.

During heat wave, OSHA calls for "Water. Rest. Shade."

On June 20, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels spoke with more than 80 meteorologists and weather broadcasters about OSHA's campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. Secretary Solis, Dr. Michaels, and Acting Deputy Director of the National Weather Service Steven Cooper also discussed the populations most at risk, the importance of acclimatization, and the value of using the buddy system to look out for heat illness warning signs in coworkers. Read more about the heat call in Dr. Michaels' most recent post on the DOL blog.

 In addition, OSHA is posting more than 100 “Water. Rest. Shade.” billboards across four states to educate employers and workers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather. The billboards will appear in Arkansas, Florida, Texas, and Illinois – the four states with the highest number of occupational heat-related fatalities in 2010. They direct viewers, in both English and Spanish, to visit OSHA's heat illness web page for bilingual educational materials, a downloadable smart phone app, workplace training, and other information on how to prevent heat illness and what to do in an emergency. The billboards, provided by Lamar Outdoor Advertising, will be in place for eight weeks, running from mid-June through August.