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: 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 excessive levels of heat stress during the performance of their duties working in the warehouse labeling area. a) The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index in the labeling area and depalletizer for the tray pack line, without the gallon line operating, on 07/30/99 ranged from 86.7 to 88.2 degrees Fahrenheit during the two hour sampling period. Such exposure(s) led to the development of heat exhaustion and hospitalization of eight employees, six of which were in the labeling area of the warehouse. Additionally, such exposure(s) may lead to the development of serious heat induced illness(es), such as heat stroke, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat rash and transient heat fatigue. b) The estimated metabolic workload for employees on the tray pack line put them in a "moderate" workload category as correlated with the guidelines established by ACGIH and NIOSH. The employees on the tray pack line are responsible for maintaining the tray pack line, and the palletizer, check equipment and setup, inspect labels, trays, cans and codes, operates controls for label machine, packer and palletizer, check finished product, add glue to the label machine and tray packer, make minor equipment adjustments and operate controls for the conveyor to and from equipment. The shrink wrap ovens operate at approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit and are not vented. Required uniforms include a hair net, white short sleeve shirts and navy blue pants made of 65polyester and 35cotton and long sleeve coveralls in the absence of such uniforms. Scheduled breaks include 15 minutes/2 hours of work with an hour break for dinner. Employees are permitted each hour to take a 5 minute water break, however, the line is a continuous process and the breaks are contingent on the availability of a supervisor to replace each employee on their line. Means of feasible abatement include, but may not be limited to: 1) Establishment of provisions for a work/rest regimen so that exposure time to high temperatures is decreased and/or the work rate is decreased. 2) Development of a formal heat stress program which incorporates; a) training program for informing employees about the effects of heat stress, symptoms of heat induced illnesses, and the prevention of heat induced illnesses, b) use of heat stress instruments to monitor the work environment, c) acclimation program for new employees and employees returning to work from periods of absence of three or more days, or when environmental conditions induce changes in the workplace conditions, d) screening program to identify health conditions aggravated by elevated temperatures, e) provisions for providing cool drinking water and/or electrolytes, f)provisions to provide rest areas with cooler temperatures, or cool spot throughout the work areas; and g) venting the heat producing equipment, such as the shrink wrap ovens.