The size of the penalties attached to violations lodged by OSHA against two companies involved in a heat-related fatality in June underscores the relatively small sanctions the agency is allowed to use in its enforcement activities.

On the heels of the hottest month in US history, OSHA continues to promote its smart phone-friendly Heat Safety Tool mobile app, which provides vital safety info on heat-related illness prevention.

With much of the Midwest and East Coast in the grip of a severe heat wave – and other parts of the country in danger of returning to it – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is issuing excessive heat warnings that include information that protects outdoor workers by describing the signs of heat illness and what to do if someone becomes ill.

What do you do when hot and feeling overheated? How much time can be taken for breaks or rest periods? How can you stay hydrated? These questions and others were answered recently in Spanish via a partnership between OSHA and Univision’s Phone Bank Program.