Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: HEAT

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: The hazards of excessive heat stress, and the employer did not institute and enforce an effective heat stress management program to control employee exposures. a) Employees such as but not necessarily limited to the zinc remelt operator who works in the zinc remelt room on the east side of the main production building, were exposed to heat stress conditions in excess of the Adopted Threshold Limit Values (TLV's) for heat stress of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The ACGIH TLV's for heat stress were developed to prevent elevations of deep body temperatures above 100.4 degress F. Elevation of body core temperatures above this level can result in the onset of serious heat induced illnesses such as, but not necessarily limited to, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and/or death. Heat stress surveys conducted on October 5, 1988 revealed the following: Title Date % Work Rest Av WBGT TLV Rate Zinc Remelt Operator 10/5/88 Continous 27.7C 26.7 3.9 Keal (Moderate work load) Work (81.9F) (80.1F) One feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard among others, is to establish and enforce a heat stress control program such as that recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Esential elements of such a program would include, but may not be limited to, the following: 1) Survey potential heat stress operations: Establish a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) profile for each hot job for winter and summer seasons. Re-evaluate whenever there were changes in production, process, equipment or controls. 2) Identify and implement engineering controls to reduce convective and radiant heat levels in the work rest areas: Since the radiant heat load is a major contributor to the heat stress in this instance, the operation could be re-designed such that effective shielding be used between the heat source and the worker during charging, pouring etc. 3) Identify and implement applicable administrative and work practice controls, including a work/rest regiment to reduce exposure time and metabolic expenditure of the employee and to allow for adequate water intake: In this instance, ensure that employees adhere to a work rest schedule that has been divised to take into account changing job orders, weather conditions, etc. Rotate personnel if necessary. 4) Institute and effective employee acclimitization prgrams: In this instance, develop a specific schedule for progressive adjustment periods for unacclimatized new workers and for regular acclimatized employees who returned from vacation, sick leave, etc., 5) Provide and enforce the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees form heat stress: For an additional effective control of the radiant heat load reflective jackets (or aprons) and head coverlings or auxilliary personal cooling systems (such as ice vests, water/air cooled garments, etc.) can be used. 6) Institute appropriate medical screenings and first aid programs relative to heat stroke and heat exhaustion. 7) Institute and effective employee training program relative to hazards of heat stress and the control programs in effect. The above methods are general and may or may not be applicable inall circumstances. The employer, based upon his superior knowledge of the workplace, is responsible for selecting, implementing and enforcing an effective heat stress control program which considers the elements outlined above.