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 heat stress conditions: While employees were packing cans and stacking pallets at the packer end of the Aerosol line, heat stress levels exceeded the Wet Bulb-Globe Temperatur e index (WBGT) for continuous, moderate work in hot environments of 26.7 degrees Centigrade as recommended in the Threshold Limit Values for Physica l Agents adopted by ACGIH for 1991. In the 130 minute survey of WBGT levels conducted on May 21, 1991, at the packer end of the Aersol line, the averag e WBGT level was 29.0 degrees Centigrade. Feasible abatement methods, that the employer had not instituted, include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) a heat acclimatization policy, (2) work-rest regimens on all hot jobs, (3) pre-employment and periodic examinations to determine employee fitness for hot work locations, (4) informing and training of employees in safety and health procedures with respect to hot work locations and in recognition and treatment of heat disorders, (5) initial and periodic measurements of hot work locations to define the employee's heat exposure, (6) shields, covers or personal protective clothing to protect employees from heat, (7) engineering control s to reduce the heat load in hot work locations, and (8) the active replenish - ment of lost body fluids through the encouragement of the employees to drin k extra liquids by the use of cool potable liquids located conveniently in th e work area, which would include the use of cups that tends to result in larger volumes of liquids being ingested.