Inspection Detail

Inspection: 308151893 - Amwood Homes

Inspection Information - Office: Naperville Area Office

Investigation Summary

On June 27, 2005, Employee #1, who worked in the yard as well as in the shipping and receiving area started work at 7:00 a.m. He delivered some material off and on for the first 4 hours of his shift and worked outside on steel beams. Employee #1 was cutting material with an acetylene torch and he was welding steel beams in his spare time. He welded one beam and cut one beam for one job. On the second job he cut 2 beams but did not start welding the 3rd beam for the job. At noon, Employee #1 went off site for his 30-minute lunch break. At 12:30 p.m. he returned to work and worked in the warehouse for about 0.5 hour. Employee #1 then worked on the steel beams outside and collapsed at 1:30 p.m. On June 27, 2005, temperatures in the Rockford area ranged from 69 - 95 degrees Fahrenheit. At the time of Employee #1's collapse, the temperature in the region was 93 degrees Fahrenheit with 38-percent humidity. The calculated heat stress index for these conditions was 95 degrees Fahrenheit. On September 26, 2005, the Rock County Coroners' report was received. The cause of death was a differential diagnosis between heat, which induced death and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Keywords: HEAT, STEEL BEAM, ACETYLENE TORCH, COLLAPSE, WELDING, HEAT STROKE, CARDIOVASC DISEASE, HIGH TEMPERATURE