TUSCALOOSA, AL – June 28, 2022 – NBC news reported a new OSHA pilot-study for the prevention of heat-related illness by testing wearable arm bands for workers in at-risk small-to-medium sized businesses in Alabama. This device measures a person’s heart rate, exertional level and core temperature. Excessive core temperatures above 106 degrees are associated with heat-related illness. Workers at Black Warrior Brewing Company in Tuscaloosa, Alabama have been wearing these devices. Many have had to load kegs and pallets of cans onto trucks in the scorching Alabama heat this summer. Once a worker’s core temperature reaches 100 degrees (normal is 98.6 degrees), the workers are asked to take a break before returning to work. Sam Ambrose, the head brewer, feels that this device can prevent serious heat-related illness from happening. He said “I’ve seen a lot of serious stuff happen in a lot of heat incidence.”
The prevention of heat-related illness in workers has become a priority of the Biden Administration since a September 2021 initiative, consistent with his prioritization of fighting climate change and its resultant environmental and health impacts. Currently OSHA does not have a specific standard for hazardous heat conditions so President Biden would like the agency to develop heat-specific workplace rules in order to protect workers and prevent heat-related illness. One example is having a heat acclimatization program for all workers. There are almost three thousand cases of missed work a year.
Millions of workers are susceptible to heat in the workplace in outdoor and indoor environments. Some indoor industries where workers have suffered heat-related illness are kitchens, bakeries, steel mills, manufacturing with local heat sources, and warehouses. At-risk outdoor industries include farming, construction, landscaping, and oil operations. A disproportionate number of these jobs are held by Black and Brown workers.
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Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
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