Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306751298 - Waste Management Inc. Of Florida

Inspection Information - Office: Jacksonville Area Office

Investigation Summary

On May 25, 2004, Employee #1 was collecting waste and garbage from a residential neighborhood with a three man crew. The crew started collecting garbage around 8:00 a.m. They stopped several times throughout the morning for quick breaks and to drink water. Several times in the morning, the employee rode with the route supervisor in the pick-up truck, and the supervisor told him that he was to only walk on this route rather than run, and he should inform the driver whenever he needed a break. Around 11:15 a.m., another crew member observed Employee #1 stagger and then lean on a garbage can. When the crew member spoke to the employee, his replies were incoherent. The employee was taken to the truck where his condition worsened. The route supervisor was notified to call emergency medical services. The emergency medical services arrived at approximately 11:35 a.m. The employee was taken to a local hospital and his body temperature was measured by the emergency medical services to be 106.9 degrees. Employee #1 died later that day and the cause of death was listed as heat stroke with hypertensive cardiomyopathy being a contributory cause. On the day of the accident, the average temperature rose from 75 degrees at 8:00 a.m. to 86 degrees at 11:00 a.m. The average relative humidity dropped from 64 to 48 during the same time frame. The previous day, the deceased had worked at a construction site for two hours during which he carried concrete blocks to masons. This was the employee's first day on the job and prior to working he was required to view a training videotape that was provided by the employer.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, HEAT, HEAT STROKE, HEAT EXHAUSTION