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

Nevada Revised Statute 618.375(1): Duties of employers. Every employer shall furnish employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his or her employees. On August the 9th, an employee (employee #1) working outside was exposed to high temperatures and had not received training on the dangers of heat stress. Employee #1 was a landscaper who was operating a lawn mower on the day of the accident. He started work at approximately 5:00 am and told his coworker (employee #2) at approximately 12:05 pm that he was not feeling well. Employee #2 stated that employee #1 left the job site at 12:05 pm and that he did not see him again after that. The family member that employee #1 called stated that the first time that he received a call to pick him up was at approximately 2:21 pm. When the family member arrived at Palomino Lane and Trotter Circle, Las Vegas, Nevada 89107, the employee was unresponsive, and the family member called 911. The high temperature at 3:09 pm when the call was placed to 911 was approximately 112 degrees Fahrenheit. The autopsy report from the Clark County Coroner identified environmental heat exposure as a significant condition in the death of the employee. Feasible and acceptable methods to abate this hazard include, but are not limited to: 1. Training employees about the effects of heat related illness, how to report and recognize heat related illness symptoms and how to prevent heat related illness. 2. Including a heat acclimatization program for new employees or employees returning to work from absences of three or more days. 3. Providing a cool, climate-controlled area where heat affected employees may take their breaks and/or recover when signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses are recognized. 4. Providing specific procedures to be followed for heat related emergency situations and procedures for first aid to be administered immediately to employees displaying symptoms of heat related illness. 5. Using dermal patches for monitoring core temperature to better identify when workers need to be removed from the work area.