AUGUSTA — Maine labor officials say a new app is available to help people who work outdoors calculate the heat index and avoid heat-related illnesses.

Labor Commissioner Robert Winglass says the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has created a Heat Safety Tool that provides information on a mobile phone. Using the app, workers and supervisors can calculate the heat index for their worksite.

The heat index is a measurement of air temperature in relation to relative humidity. It indicates what the temperature “feels like.”

Based on the heat index, the heat safety app displays a message for people working outdoors and provides reminders for the precautions that should be taken at certain risk levels.