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

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 heat: On or about July 18, 2011 through August 2, 2011, employees of United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) were exposed to the hazard of excessive ambient heat from working inside of structures such as, but not limited to, trailers and associated loading areas exposed to seasonal elevated ambient outdoor temperatures between 90 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, during the performance of their duties, which included loading, unloading and moving packages into and out of trailers or in associated areas. On July 21, 2011 between 5:03 PM to 6:46 PM, indoor Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures were documented from 28.9 Celsius (84.02 degrees Fahrenheit) to 31 deg C (87.98 degrees Fahrenheit). Such exposures may lead to the development of serious heat-related heat illnesses such as severe heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Between these dates listed above, twelve employees experienced heat-related illness including, but not limited to, dehydration, heat exhaustion, severe heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat collapse and heat fatigue. The employer failed to develop and implement an adequate and effective heat stress program, specifically in the following instances: a. The employer failed to develop and implement measures to effectively reduce employee exposure to conditions that posed a risk of inducing severe heat-related illness. The employer did not have a work-rest regimen or an employee rotation program for this purpose. b. The employer did not provide adequate and effective heat stress/heat exhaustion training to managers who had oversight on employees required to work in seasonal elevated ambient temperatures. The managers had not been provided adequate and effective training specific to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses in order to deal with employees experiencing heat-related problems. c. The employer did not develop and implement effective employee heat stress monitoring via indoor environmental measurements while employees worked loading and unloading trailers in conditions that posed a risk of inducing heat-related illness. d. The employer did not provide a means of ventilation in the trailers for employees exposed to seasonal elevated ambient temperatures. e. The employer failed to ensure workers required to work in seasonally elevated ambient temperatures hydrated on a continuous basis throughout their respective work shifts. Feasible and acceptable methods to abate this hazard include, but are not limited to: 1. Providing adequate amounts of cool, potable water and electrolyte replacements (specific recommendations should be made by medical consultation) in the work area and monitor, encourage and permit employees to drink fluids frequently throughout their work shifts. 2. Providing a work-rest regimen 3. Re-training management about the effects of heat-related illness, specific to recognizing, monitoring and reporting heat-related illness symptoms and how to prevent heat-related illnesses 4. Including a heat acclimatization program for new employees or employees returning to work from absences of three or more days. 5. Conducting environmental heat stress exposure monitoring. 6. Using dermal patches for monitoring core temperature to better identify when workers need to be removed from the work area. 7. Providing ventilation for the trailers and associated work areas including but not limited to the use of pedestal fans and/or mounted fans. 8. Providing multiple cool, climate-controlled areas where heat-affected employees may take their breaks and/or recover when signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses are recognized. 9. 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.