AIHA launches new mobile app on heat stress

Heat records were broken last summer, and early fall forecasts predict that above-average temperatures will continue to persist across large areas of the country. Countless outdoor workers face significant health risks due to workplace heat hazards.

To address the increased risk of heat-related illness posed by rising temperatures, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) announced on September 10 the availability of its new AIHA mobile application on heat stress.

“As climate change continues, AIHA recognizes the need to better protect workers from heat stress. That’s why our team of occupational health and safety and environmental experts worked so diligently to develop an app that can more accurately assess heat stress risks in real time than any other tool previously offered,” AIHA President and CEO Lawrence D. Sloan said in a statement.

Developed by leading OEHS heat safety experts from the AIHA Heat Stress Working Group in partnership with East Carolina University, the AIHA Heat Stress mobile app is now available for free download on iOS and Android platforms. Prior to the official launch, AIHA solicited feedback from target audiences during its open beta testing phase earlier this summer and has modified the app based on feedback.

This easy-to-use tool allows users to enter the following personalized information that will be considered in their overall heat stress risk assessment:

• Location (multiple locations can be selected)
• Workload intensity (users can select light, moderate, heavy, very heavy)
• Clothing type (six different options)
• Cloud cover (degree of exposure to sunlight)
• Preferred language (English, Spanish, French or Portuguese)

By combining this information with local weather data automatically pulled from the local National Weather Service, the app calculates the individual’s wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index—the gold standard for assessing heat stress that integrates air temperature, relative humidity, wind, and radiant heat—and the associated heat stress risk level. The app also provides heat alerts based on the user’s work schedule and their location’s current heat stress risk level, as well as health recommendations (i.e., rest breaks and water intake) based on their individual risk level. Additional resources available include quick reads on recommended heat stress prevention measures, warning signs of heat-related illness, and first aid recommendations to assist a worker in distress.

Dr. Morrissey-Basler’s research has shown that workers who experience heat-related symptoms do not perform their jobs as effectively as workers who are not affected by this type of heat exposure, which can negatively impact a company’s bottom line. Additionally, recent research has shown that there are an average of over 700 heat-related deaths per year in the United States, making environmental heat exposure the leading cause of weather-related deaths.

Although the AIHA Heat Stress mobile app and the Heat Safety Tool released by OSHA and NIOSH in 2017 have many similar features, one significant difference is that the OSHA/NIOSH app calculates heat risk based on the heat index or “feels like temperature” rather than the more accurate WBGT. The AIHA Heat Stress mobile app is not a replacement for the OSHA/NIOSH app, but the new app using WBGT is a more advanced version that employees and employers can use with additional tools designed to calculate high and extreme heat stress risks more accurately for workload types.

The new app not only monitors the WBGT index in real time, but also stands out for its ability to forecast the WBGT index up to five days in advance. Dr. Morrissey-Basler noted that being able to determine the projected WBGT index in advance can help employers plan and adjust their work schedules accordingly. The app can evaluate weather data on a global scale.

Dr. Morrissey-Basler added that exposure to extreme heat can lead to occupational illnesses caused by heat stress, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heart problems, kidney damage or even death. Heat can also increase the risk of injury to workers because it can lead to sweaty palms, foggy safety glasses, dizziness and reduced brain function responsible for reasoning, creating additional risks.