CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — When working in the South Texas sun, it's vital to understand your environment. The new heat app created by the U.S. Department of Labor in conjunction with OSHA and the CDC, helps monitor the dangers of the heat for those who work outside.
It notifies the user of the protective measures needed to take, and when.
"The hourly helps us get an understanding of when we need to put our guys inside and outside, and when we need to do our more strenuous work," said Jared Camacho, general manager of Camacho Demolition.
Accurately monitoring the heat index is the most important feature of this app.
"It can go from 90 degrees to 100 degrees in an hour,” Camacho said. “So as you're out there working, you don't realize as you get on your task and you're out there working, and before you know it you haven't taken in water, start dehydrating, start feeling the effects of heat stress, and at that point it's too late."
When working in full sunlight, the heat index's value can increase by as much 15 degrees.
"You do get alerts on there saying 'Hey, it's starting to rise and get to another level,' and it will let your supervisor know,” said Camacho, “and then he can start watching people on the job sites."
Usually employees use their cars to record their heat index for the day, but that fluctuates drastically. A day that starts in the early 90's can raise drastically, over 20 degrees within hours.
"If someone does experience heat stress or heat stroke on your job, you can go to the app and get an understanding of what precautions to take to ensure the person makes it out okay," said Camacho supervisor Jared Camacho. “This allows employees to schedule work that needs to be done inside, during the hottest hours of the day.
"With the app, it's going to be a lot more accurate, a lot better for the guys to prepare for the day, to make sure we're working as safely as we can everyday," said Julian Camacho.
Implementing this app into your daily routine, can maximize your day while avoiding putting employees in a dangerous situation.
You can download the app here.
