Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: HEAT

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: hazardous levels of heat while doing yard work at the company's grounds on or about 07-29-03. Exposure to excessive heat may lead to the development of serious heat related illnesses, such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heart attack: (a) At the plant located at 2900 Johnson Street, Gonzales, TX., employee(s) were exposed to hazardous levels of heat while performing yard work, consisting of mowing grass, and weed eating around the plant, on or about 2:20 PM on 07-29-03, resulting in an employee sustaining a fatal heart attack with heat exhaustion as a contributing factor. The heat index on 07-29-03 reached an afternoon high of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F) in the vicinity of the work site. The estimated metabolic work load for the employee(s) put them in the heavy workload category as correlated with the guidelines established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Performing weed eating duties at the front of the plant consisted of holding a weed eater (estimated weight 15-20 pounds) at arm's length for extended periods of time. Among other methods, feasible and useful, one method of abatement to reduce or eliminate these hazards would be to develop and implement a formal heat stress program to include: a. Establishing provisions for a monitored work rest regimen so that exposure time to high temperatures is decreased, and/or the work rate is decreased, and or rest periods are increased in both length and frequency; b. Using heat rest instruments to monitor the work environment; c. Providing adequate amounts of cool potable water and electrolyte replacements in work areas and encouraging all workers to replace fluids frequently; d. Initiating a heat acclimatization program to increase the heat tolerance of new workers; e.Initiating a screening program to identify health conditions aggravated by elevated by rising temperatures, such as obesity; f. Providing a cooler area where heat affected employees may recover when symptoms of heat related illness are recognized in, or reported by employees; g. Ensuring that adequately trained personnel are available at the work site to treat workers with signs or symptoms of a serious heat related illness, such as heat stroke or exhaustion; h. maintaining ice or iced water in adequate amounts for immediate first aid to heat affected persons; and i. Initiating a continuing training program to inform employees of: 1. The hazards of heat related injuries and illnesses and preventative measures; 2. Predisposing factors and relevant signs and symptoms of heat related illness; 3. Potential health effects of excessive heat stress; 4. Importance of immediate reporting to management personnel of the development of signs or symptoms of heat related illness observed in or reported by employees; 5. First aid procedures for heat related illnesses; 6.Importance of the immediate administration of appropriate first aid to workers reporting or displaying symptoms of heat related illness; and 7. Effect of therapeutic drugs and social drugs (including alcohol) that may increase the risk of heat injury or illness by reducing heat tolerance.