Another round of OSHA’s most interesting cases
Lessons learned from 4 incidents
Heat-related illness
A landscape worker suffered heatstroke after his body temperature reached 109° F.
Presented by Alex Daniels, industrial hygienist, Lubbock, TX
A two-man crew was assigned to residential mowing because both workers had been with the company for less than a week and that work required no heavy lifting or digging. During the afternoon, the heat index reached as high as 96° to 98° F and, sometime after 2 p.m., one of the workers was seen mowing the same spot in a yard over and over. His co-worker tried to see what was wrong, but the employee yelled at him to “mind his own business!”
“The employees did not call their supervisor,” Daniels said. “They did not call their manager. They did not call 911 or provide first aid, and they didn’t take a break.”
Later, the employee began vomiting and dry heaving before collapsing. He attempted to drive back to the company’s facility but didn’t have the strength to operate his vehicle. At 5:42 p.m., the employee started having seizures. He also had pale skin and dark lips, and had stopped sweating. His body was stiff and he was coughing up a “red tint.”
When he arrived at the hospital, his body temperature was 109° F. He spent 10 days in the hospital.
Investigation details
OSHA learned that the company had “some elements” of heat stress prevention but an extremely short written program:
“When working in extremely hot climates, be sure to drink plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration. Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms of overheating exist (hot skin, nausea, headache, dizziness, cramping, fatigue, etc.).”
Workers weren’t provided time to acclimatize to hot conditions and didn’t understand what the term “acclimatization” meant, Daniels said. New hires often were given lighter work (mowing residential lawns, for example), but they still worked a full day in the heat.
Employees did have access to water, coolers and an ice machine, and were allowed to take breaks “as needed” in an air-conditioned vehicle.
OSHA issued one serious violation of the General Duty Clause.
Resolution
The company created a more comprehensive heat stress prevention program. It also posted OSHA QuickCards on heat stress in each of its vehicles and displayed OSHA posters – in English and Spanish – on its walls.
Additionally, the company provided employees with cooling towels and discussed heat safety during new-employee orientation.
Lessons learned
- Training is a must: Employees should learn heat illness prevention, the signs and symptoms of heat illness, and “how to act immediately” when someone experiences a heat-related illness.
- Acclimatization: Nearly 3 out of 4 workers who die from heat-related causes are in their first week on the job.OSHA and NIOSH recommend the 20% rule for building heat tolerance: New employees should only have 20% of a normal workload on their first day, 40% on the next day, 60% on the day after, etc. That’s a rule of thumb, Daniels cautioned, and every employee is different. “If, on Day 3, an employee is running laps around everybody else, you can potentially shorten that acclimatization phase,” he said. “But if on Day 7 they’re still huffing and puffing, they’re still struggling, you obviously may need to extend that.”
- Day-to-day supervision: At least one employee should be responsible for monitoring conditions at a worksite and implementing the employer’s heat plan throughout the workday.
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