b'Garys CornerOSHA began its enforcement efforts in 2012. On July 19, 2012 OSHA published a memorandum with a directive to expedite heat related inspections. It identified its goal the swift abatement and reduction of heat related illnesses and death. This was ten years before OSHA declared the NEP for heat illness prevention. At that time, compliance officers were directed to consider whether the employer was employing feasible and useful methods to correct the hazard. These were identified as providing immediateaccesstowater,restandshade (something OSHA still emphasizes now in 2022), have an acclimatization program, implement a work/rest schedule, and provide climate-controlled cool down areas. Now that we have the NEP, OSHA has added some additional points for compliance officers to look for when inspecting an employer under the NEP. They are:1.Doestheemployerhaveadministrative controls in place?2.Is the employer using a buddy system?3.Do workers have access to cool water?4.Does the employer require hydration breaksat the work site, not the temperature.If you do and rest breaks? not already have the OSHA Heat Index App on 5.Howistheemployermonitoringabientyour smart phone: Heat Safety Tool from the temperatures and levels of work exertion? Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov) you should download it. I also advise Theaboveitemsdonotreallyaddveryrequiring the app for all site supervisors. This muchtotheinstructionsthatwereissuedtois a free app which will enable you to become compliance officers in 2012. But they do clarifyaware of the heat index at any location at which the responsibilities of employers in preventing heatyou are working. The app also provides a list of illness on the job site. They also appear to be morethe precautions that you should take to protect focused on the employers responsibilities.your employees because of the high heat index in which they are working. The app also provides As I advised in the article I drafted a year agoyou with the symptoms employees will exhibit if they on heat illness prevention, you as the employerare suffering from heat related illnesses. Another mustrememberthatheatillnesscanbeverylink on the app will provide you with first-aid steps insidious in its development and devastating in itsto take for each of these conditions.results. Unfortunately, many employees, and some employers, do not realize the danger until it is tooWhile developing a standard, OSHA continues to late. People with underlying health conditions areenforce heat illness protection through application even more susceptible than others to heat illnessof the General Duty Clause. As many of you are and its more severe consequences. I advise youaware, this clause of the Occupational Safety and to pay close attention to the daily temperatureHealth Act of 1970 requires employers to provide extremes on your job sites and the heat indicestheir workers with a place of employment that is free which flow from them. Remember the guidance,of recognized hazards that are causing, or likely published by OSHA, focuses on the heat indexto cause, death or serious physical harm. OSHA Continued on page 38www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 37'