Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1497918.015 - Solar Watt Solutions

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At 4:00 p.m. on October 5, 2020, an employee working as an off-grid solar panel installer for a solar equipment provider was working on a crew installing solar panels. The crew was working at a remote worksite subjected to direct sunlight. The employee was assisting the crew with digging holes for support posts and preparing and pouring concrete into the holes before erecting the posts. The employee was inexperienced and was working his first week with the company. The employee began work between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. that day. At approximately 02:00 pm the employee collapsed and could not stand up on his own. He reported he was showing symptoms that were consistent with heat-related illness including body pains. After a short while, he managed to sit down in the shade. A coworker who was the site supervisor ignored the employee's repeated requests for medical assistance. The employee managed to call his father to explain his medical condition causing his father to drive to the scene. The NOAA average heat Index values for the afternoon were approximately 74 degrees Fahrenheit. NOAA notes that exposure to full sunshine can increase heat index values by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum heat index value for the day was 83 degrees Fahrenheit. The employer had failed to develop and implement a heat-related illness prevention program. The employee was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for complications developed due to heat exhaustion.

Keywords: Construction, Dehydration, Digging, Heat Exhaustion, Heat Injury Prevention Program, Heat-related illness , High Temperature, Hyperthermia , Injury Illness Prevention Program, Installing, Insufficient Supervision, Medical Attention, Solar, Solar Array, Supervision, Weather