Introducing BreezeBox - A fast solution to upcoming OSHA rules for heat protection
Sliding under the radar during the media coverage of hurricane Beryl this month, a story broke about a competitor in climate change impact race. As I was watched the giant storm make landfall on the Texas coast and monitored posts from my Texas friends and family, email blasts from organizations in the construction industry started to clog up my inbox. Were buildings damaged by flood waters? Yes, but that always happens. Did power outages make life miserable for contractors and stall projects? Yes, but that’s not new for Texas these days. Were the state’s leaders missing in action and behind in the response curve? See previous comment.
Ok, so what sent shock waves through the construction industry?
image take from an email alert I received from the MCAA (Masonry Contractors Association of America)
Even NPR picked up the story and mentioned the proposal from the Department of Labor in an episode of Up First.
In the climate impact race, heat is Lance Armstrong of the 90’s - shattering records every year. This doped up racer is exceptional. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States and these proposed rules would force employers across at least 70 different industries to protect more than 38 million workers, quickly.
When the rules go into effect, employers will have 150 days to comply and provide the following protections for their workers:
A work site heat injury and illness prevention plan for companies with more than 10 employees
Training for supervisors, heat safety coordinators, and employees about the plan
Provide break and treatment areas that can sufficiently cool someone in heat distress
Initial heat triggers with a heat index of 80F with employers providing drinking water, break areas on indoor/outdoor work sites, paid rest breaks if needed, etc.
High heat trigger with a heat index of 90F with employers providing a minimum 15-minute paid rest break at least every two hours, warning signs for excessive high heat areas, etc.
Recordkeeping requirements
The list above is more than just a checklist of individual tasks or items. The path to compliance requires a comprehensive plan anchored by cooling environments that can sufficiently cool someone in heat distress and a work plan responds appropriately to local heat triggers. The list is synergistic - cooling environments need to perform, employers need to have a system that can alerts them to dynamic heat thresholds, and record need to be kept that demonstrate compliance.
In response to the need for rapid OSHA compliance, we’ve accelerated production of our smart jobsite cooling station, BreezeBox.
BreezeBox can do it all:
· Lightweight and portable (can be moved with a 6k forklift or add insertable wheels)
· Can be powered by solar or 110V shore power
· Records temperatures and humidity in multiple locations
· Alerts supervisors when thresholds are reached
· Plug and play components for easy maintenance
Contact us about various size options, pricing, and batch production.
Sources and other heat-related illness articles:
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/02/nx-s1-5026745/extreme-heat-protections-for-workers-osha
https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/resources
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/05/world/hottest-day-world-climate-el-nino-intl/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/25/world/heatwaves-temperature-record-climate-intl/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/26/world/heat-health-climate-projection-emissions-intl/index.html
https://www.alertmedia.com/blog/osha-heat-regulations/
https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/Heat-NPRM-Final-Reg-Text.pdf
https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL_03-00-024.pdf
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/extreme-heat-is-more-dangerous-for-workers-every-year/#:~:text=Heat%2Drelated%20health%20risks%20are,hunting%2C%20forestry%2C%20and%20construction.&text=From%201992%20to%202016%2C%20construction,of%20occupational%20heat%2Drelated%20deaths.
