Wondering if it’s too hot to go outside at your workplace? Don’t bother checking the thermometer or stepping outside: the Federal government has the answer and, it only cost taxpayers $643,997.60! Josh Peterson of the Daily Caller reported in 2012 about a smartphone app created by OSHA that uses temperature and humidity data to warn workers if it is too hot outside:
“According to OSHA’s website, the “Heat Safety Tool”—available forAndroid, Blackberry and iPhone—“allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their work site and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers.” The app also provides “reminders about drinking enough fluids, scheduling rest breaks, planning for and knowing what to do in an emergency.”
A recent Freedom of Information Act request by the free-market oriented Americans for Limited Government revealed that the Labor Department contracts for the development of the “Heat Safety Tool” and related Web 2.0 technologies cost the taxpayer $643,997.60. The contracts were awarded under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus package.
Read the full article here.
