NSC Funds Innovative Solutions to Protect Workers from Heat Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Safety Council has awarded over $140,000 to help employers combat the rising threat of occupational heat stress. Through the Work to Zero Heat Stress Pilot Grant, organizations will test and evaluate technologies to protect workers from heat-related illness and death.

Nearly 500 workers have died from heat-related workplace incidents since 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These fatalities are preventable through planning, training and tools that provide early warning signs of heat stress.

“Employers must take meaningful steps to combat the increasing risk of heat-related illnesses and fatalities on the job,” said Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace safety programs at NSC. “This new pilot grant program shows how technology can be used to save lives. By enabling organizations to test innovative solutions in real-world settings, we’re creating a pathway to scalable safety practices that can prevent heat-related tragedies before they happen.”

As part of the pilot, recipients will partner with the leading technology providers from the 2025 Work to Zero Safety Innovation Challenge. These companies offer a variety of cutting-edge solutions to detect, manage and prevent heat-related incidents.

Recipients of the Work to Zero Heat Stress Pilot Grant include:

● Allegion and WSP USA will each trial Apex Cool Labs’ handheld cooling and sensor technology to enhance heat safety in their respective industries

● Brasfield & Gorrie and United Rentals will deploy MākuSafe Corp’s wearable safety technology to collect environmental and physicality data that signals early heat stress risks

● Geo-Technology Associates will test Critical Ops’ drone-based precision mapping to mitigate heat stress at its high-heat construction sites

● Service Center Metals will evaluate Cryogenx’s rapid body cooling solution to protect aluminum extrusion workers exposed to extreme heat conditions

● The Science and Engineering Corps will collaborate with the Wright Brothers Institute on piloting footwear technology designed to steadily keep the body cool within a wide variety of high-risk industries

Funded by the McElhattan Foundation, Work to Zero aims to eliminate workplace fatalities through the advancement and adoption of technology. Recipients of the Heat Stress Pilot Grant will share insights to help other organizations understand the impact of these technologies and how to best implement them.

To learn more about Work to Zero and heat-related workplace safety, visit nsc.org/worktozero.