HERNDON, Va.-PLANET urges members to participate in the 2014 Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As an OSHA Alliance partner, PLANET is committed to improving safety in the landscape industry.
Each year, thousands of outdoor workers experience heat-related illnesses. In 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4,120 workers experienced heat-related illness and 31 workers died.
The Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness raises awareness, educates and provides resources to prevent illness and death caused by working outdoors in hot and humid weather.
PLANET encourages landscape and lawn care companies totrain workers about how to take care of their health during excessive heat.
OSHA provides a number of tools in English and Spanish on its website, including educational resources, training materials, an online toolkit and a section about using the heat index.
OSHA has also developed a smart phone app for Android, iPhone and Blackberry devices called the "OSHA Heat Safety Tool." The application allows users to calculate the heat index for their location and provides reminders about what to do to prevent heat illness.
For more information or to order OSHA Heat Campaign materials, visit www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.
PLANET has been an OSHA Alliance Partner since 2004, working together to address vehicle safety issues and provide employers and employees in the landscape and lawn care services industry with information on reducing and preventing exposure to material handling and slip, trip, and fall hazards.
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