Critical heat safety information tool empowers at-risk workers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides tools that empower workers with up-to-date information about their worksite conditions, especially if there is inherent risk involved. In 2016, NIOSH, in conjunction with OSHA, developed an innovative Heat Safety Tool to allow workers to gauge 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.
Click to download success story
Services provided
- Developed highly functional and interactive application
- Strategic management of innovative application modernization program
- Secure software application development expertise
Success achieved
- Top application for CDC with over 2.8 million downloads
- Received award-winning health and safety industry recognition
- Leading resource for comprehensive, real-time heat safety and risk information
Improving the mobile application experience
Challenge
The heat index indicates what extremely warm temperatures actually feel like by leveraging scientific calculations derived from local temperatures and humidity levels. OSHA had an existing tool that could display the local heat index, but the single-screen application provided very limited information and functionality. Additional information was critical to provide 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.
Approach
OSHA relied on Maximus to evolve its existing application from a single-screen tool to a five-tab user interface with new functionality, including:
- Heat gauge to indicate the user’s current local heat index and its corresponding risk level
- 14-hour Heat Forecast that dynamically shows how the user’s local heat index and associated threat level is predicted to change throughout the day
- Editable location, temperature, and humidity controls for calculation of variable conditions
- Signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, rhabdomyolysis, heat cramps, and heat rash
- First aid information for heat-related illnesses
- Easy-to-use multi-lingual toggle switch between English and Spanish translation
- Simplified settings that allow users to view and set notifications
Results
The comprehensive redesign of the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool mobile application delivers life-saving information that protects at-risk workers from heat stress. Upon release, the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool application became the second-most downloaded application across CDC. To date, the application has been downloaded more than 2.8 million times.
The application was featured by the White House during a July 27, 2022 briefing on Heat.gov. The Maximus team was also recognized with the NIOSH Bullard-Sherwood Research-to-Practice (r2p) Award for exceptional contribution to the health and safety of workers.