Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001A 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 hazardous levels of heat while performing a survey on or about July 3, 2000. Exposure to excessive heat may lead to the development of serious heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat rash, transient heat fatigue, and heat syncope (heat-induced loss of consciousness). (a) At the worksite on Lot 29 in The Summit At West Rim, located at 4141 River Garden Trail, Austin, Texas, employees were exposed to hazardous levels of heat while performing a boundary survey on or about July 3, 2000, resulting in an employee sustaining a heat stroke and subsequently dying. The heat index on July 3, 2000 reached an afternoon high of 101.8 degrees Fahrenheit (F) in the vicinity of the work site. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index measured on the morning of July 12, 2000 at the same worksite ranged from 83.4 degrees F to 88.1 degrees F during the 35 minute sampling period. The estimated metabolic workload for these employees put them in the "heavy" workload category as correlated with the guidelines established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Performing a boundary survey in this terrain required carrying equipment and supplies such as prisms and mounting brackets, tripods (estimated weight 15 pounds) and drinking water up steep slopes and manually clearing brush using machetes. One feasible and acceptable abatement method, among others, to correct these hazard(s) is to develop and implement a formal heat stress program to include: a. Establishing provisions for a work/rest regimen so that exposure time to high temperatures is decreased, and/or the work rate is decreased, and/or rest periods are increased in length and frequency; b. Using heat stress instruments to monitor the work environment; c. Providing adequate amounts of cool potable water and electrolyte replacements in work areas and encouraging all workers to replace fluids frequently; d. Initiating a heat acclimation program to increase heat tolerance of new workers and workers returning from periods of absence of 3 or more days; e. Initiating a screening program to identify health conditions aggravated by elevated temperatures; f. Providing a cooler area where heat-affected employees may recover when symptoms of heat-related illness are recognized in, or reported by, employees; g. Ensuring that adequately trained personnel are available at the work site to treat workers that develop signs or symptoms of a serious heat- related illness, such as heat stroke; h. Maintaining ice or iced water in adequate amounts for immediate first aid to heat stroke victim(s); and i. Initiating a continuing training program to inform employees of: 1. The hazards of heat-related injuries and illness(es) and preventative measures; 2. Predisposing factors and relevant signs and symptoms of heat-related illness; 3. Potential health effects of excessive heat stress; 4. Importance of immediate reporting to onsite management personnel of the development of signs or symptoms of heat-related illness observed in or reported by employees; 5. First aid procedures for heat-related illnesses; 6. Importance of immediate administration of appropriate first aid to workers reporting or displaying symptoms of heat-related illness; and 7. Effect of therapeutic drugs and social drugs (including alcohol) that may increase the risk of heat injury or illness by reducing heat tolerance.