Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305325326 - Six Flags

Inspection Information - Office: Cleveland Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:05 p.m. on June 26, 2002, Employee #1, a part-time amusement park worker whose primary responsibility was keeping the patio areas around a restaurant clean, reported to his team leader that he felt like he was going to pass out. She told him to go to the back area, which was across the park, take a break and drink water. Employee #1 apparently followed her instructions, because at approximately 1:30 p.m. he collapsed in the patio nearest to the back area. Park paramedics were called and they applied ice and gave him oxygen, but Employee #1 remained unresponsive. He was transported by stretcher, transferred to a fire department ambulance, and taken to a hospital emergency room, where he was pronounced dead. His core temperature was 107 degrees F. The coroner had stated that the cause of death was heat stroke. Employee #1 was apparently overweight, had had coronary-bypass surgery, and was on seven prescription medications. As a part-time employee, he had been off work for four days prior to the day he died, raising the possibility that he was not acclimatized to the ambient heat. The break area for the employees had no air conditioning and was not supplied with fans. When Employee #1 approached his team leader, she did not radio first aid, did not assign someone to monitor Employee #1's symptoms, and failed to tell him to call first aid from a park phone. Employees had been told to drink water in hot weather, but had not been trained on the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness or its potential seriousness.

Keywords: AMUSE PARK/CARNIVAL, HEAT, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, WORK RULES, CLEANING, HEAT STROKE, FALL, HEAT EXHAUSTION, HIGH TEMPERATURE