UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: "At about 2:30 p.m. on September 24, 2009, Employee #1, a carpenter, was working at a large construction site where a high school for Los Angeles Unified School District was being built. At about 2:15 p.m., a coworker was working approximately 30 feet away, heard Employee #1 called out to him. The coworker turned around to look and observed Employee #1 lying on the ground. At the same time, the site foreman, who was driving a water truck, also observed Employee #1 lying on the ground. The foreman summoned help and responded to Employee #1 while another coworker contacted 911. Employee #1 was breathing when a coworker got to him, then began laboring for air, then stopped breathing. Others were responding to the scene, including a nearby soil inspector who initiated CPR until Los Angeles City Fire Department RA55 arrived at the scene. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Los Angeles County Coroner Office from the site. Employee #1 was an employee of a concrete foundation pouring subcontractor and had been in the bioswale area cutting wood for use in building a concrete foundation using an electric powered circular saw. The Los Angeles County Coroners Office released a report, Case Number 2009-06554 on January 13, 2010, which listed "Heat Stroke, Probable with signs of dehydration, and the toxicology report that showed "negative" for all substances screened. On the day of the incident, the ambient temperature had reached 103 F, and the temperatures that week were in the middle to high nineties. According to witness statements, Employee #1 had been working in the shade that morning and had not reported any adverse health symptoms to coworkers or supervisors. Employee #1 had eaten lunch earlier in the day with his coworker and had not reported any adverse health conditions to him either. The employer provided drinking water in adequate supply, and that shade was available at various locations including but not limited to Building E, which was about 20 yards to the north east from the bioswale area, the site of the incident that was located on the south side of the location adjacent to Building E. The employee lunch areas did have shade afforded by canopies supplied by the employer. According to witness statements, Employee #1 had been working in the shade that morning and had not reported any adverse health symptoms to coworkers or supervisors. The employee had eaten lunch earlier and had not reported any adverse health conditions. Interviews of employees, supervisors and a review of documentation during the course of the investigation suggested that the employer did provide training and instruction pertaining to heat illness recognition, prevention and control as well as pertaining to emergency response and first aid.