Florida Chamber Safety Council Launches Innovative Platform to Enhance Employer Efforts in Workplace Heat Safety
First-of-its-kind online portal that serves as a one-stop shop for employer resources on heat illness prevention.
Today, the Florida Chamber Safety Council, a program of the Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet on Safety, Health and Sustainability, launched a groundbreaking online resource that houses essential information and solutions aimed at assisting Florida employers in doubling down on their commitment to heat safety in the workplace. This cutting-edge platform, curated by nationally recognized safety, health, and industry experts, showcases a diverse range of tools specifically designed for businesses whose employees are exposed to extreme indoor and outdoor heat conditions.
This brand new platform is a comprehensive toolkit of resources, including heat stress prevention strategies, real-time weather monitoring applications, continuing education and training opportunities, and more.
“Florida is once again setting the national example as employers now have access to the necessary tools to help them combat heat-related risks in one centralized location,” said John Trevathan, Chair of the Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet and Vice President of Corporate Services at Guidewell. “By facilitating the sharing, teaching, and implementation of innovative best practices, this new online resource seeks to revolutionize worker heat safety, not only in Florida but across the United States.”
This past legislative session, the Florida Chamber Safety Council championed Governor DeSantis and the Legislature’s approval of Florida House Bill 433 (HB 433). One of the key challenges that could have been faced by companies operating in different local jurisdictions is difficulty in adhering to various, and at times conflicting, heat safety policies in each area. This bill recognizes that employers need consistency to keep their employees safe, and as the Florida Chamber Safety Council predicted, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently proposed the nation’s first federal heat safety rule to safeguard employees from extreme heat exposure, seeking to create uniformity across the nation. “The launch of the Florida Chamber Safety Council’s online heat safety platform is perfectly timed as OSHA ramps up its efforts to nationally align employers on their approach to heat safety,” said Ed Foulke, Jr., former Head of OSHA, Partner at Fisher Phillips, and Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet Advisory Board Member. “With millions of American workers being exposed to heat in the workplace on a daily basis, illness prevention is key and is extremely instrumental in saving lives.”
Employers can access the Florida Chamber Safety Council’s new online heat safety platform by clicking here.
“No one cares more about the safety of employees than the employers and safety managers that serve on our Leadership Cabinet’s advisory board and as members of the Florida Chamber Safety Council,” said Katie Yeutter, President of the Florida Chamber Leadership Cabinet on Safety, Health and Sustainability. “The Florida Chamber Safety Council will continue to be a resource to Florida employers as they navigate OSHA’s pending heat standard and workplace safety excellence by providing data-driven research, science, and technologies that will help create a clear path for worker safety.”
To learn more and get involved with the Florida Chamber Safety Council’s efforts to create the safest state in America while helping Florida employers navigate the principles of OSHA and other safety-related matters, click here.