Top Workplace Safety Apps You Need on Your Phone

Having workplace safety apps on their phones may help workers avoid or respond to occupational accidents. People working in nearly every industry face some level of risk of suffering on-the-job injuries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employees in private industry sectors across the U.S. suffered 2.8 million occupational illnesses and injuries in 2019.

Phone Apps to Improve Safety

Workplace safety apps, such as the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool, Noise Sniffer, Ladder Safety, Sling Calculator, and WorkPose aim to help workers avoid serious injuries from occurring on the job. Among other functions, some apps monitor conditions to notify workers should their working environments become unsafe, aid with selecting the correct personal protection equipment or setting such equipment up appropriately, and assess and manage risks. 

OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool

The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool helps in safeguarding workers from developing heat-related illnesses. Available for Android and iOS operating systems, the tool calculates the heat indexes for work areas, computes health risk levels, and provides warnings of possible threats. Workers may also access information about heat illness signs and symptoms through the app.

Noise Sniffer

The Noise Sniffer app helps protect workers from dangerous noise levels in the workplace. Due to exposure to elevated noise, workers may develop issues such as hearing loss. Noise Sniffer calculates the noise decibel level in the immediate area, as well as provides notifications when the noise reaches potentially hazardous levels.

Ladder Safety

Helping workers set ladders in the safest positions, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed the Ladder Safety app to help prevent falls and accidents. Using visual and sound signals, the Ladder Safety app aids in ensuring appropriate angling and offers interactive reference material.

Sling Calculator

Sling Calculator helps take the guesswork out of choosing the right rigging. Taking into account the shape of the load and other factors, the Sling Calculator app computes the load’s volume and weight to avoid hazards and determines sling tension measurements.

WorkPose

A self-guided ergonomics app, WorkPose caters to those workers who spend the majority of their workday seated at a desk. The WorkPose app guides users through positioning each piece of their workstations to maximize energy and productivity and to reduce their discomfort and pain while working. 

Phone Apps to Respond to an Accident

Workplace safety apps, such as CPR Tempo and First Aid: American Red Cross, guide employees in the event of a serious work injury. Should an accident in the workplace occur, knowing what to do may have life-saving implications.

CPR Tempo

The CPR Tempo app gives visual and audio cues to aid workers in providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR. The app’s cues align with the American Heart Association’s recommendations for performing CPR, and it provides timers for rhythm checks after administering epinephrine or giving shocks via defibrillator.

First Aid: American Red Cross

The First Aid: American Red Cross app gives workers instant instructions on how to respond to several common first aid emergencies, including bleeding, burns, and asthma attacks. The app also provides information to help workers prepare for chemical emergencies or other such events.