Helping OSHA empower at-risk workers

Situation

OSHA aims to empower workers with up-to-date information about their work-site conditions, especially for those conditions that involve inherent risk. In 2016, the administration worked with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to develop a heat safety tool that gauges temperature-related risks at work sites. The tool’s development was part of a nationwide outreach campaign to raise awareness about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather. 

Challenge

The OSHA-NIOSH tool was a single-screen application with limited information and functionality. The organizations required a comprehensive yet simple visual of real-time, high-risk heat levels to provide the public with the full scope of dangers associated with the heat index in their location.

Solution

Maximus expanded the existing OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool mobile application into a five-tab user interface with new functionality, including:

• Heat gauge to indicate the current local heat index and the corresponding risk level
• 14-hour heat forecast that dynamically shows predicted changes throughout the day
• Editable location, temperature, and humidity controls for the calculation of variable conditions
• Signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, muscle tissue damage, heat cramps, and heat rash
• First aid information for heat-related illnesses
• Easy-to-use multi-lingual toggle switch between English and Spanish versions
• Simplified settings that allow users to view and set notifications and alerts