OSHA Inspection: MORRELL SHEET METAL INC.

Issued

Jan 18, 1994

Abate by

Feb 20, 1994

Penalty

Initial $2,500 · Current $1,200 Reduced

Issued

Jan 18, 1994

Abate by

Feb 20, 1994

General-duty citation text

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 stress while engaged in roofing work
involving the installation
of sheet metal while exposed to a wet bulb globe temperature of
approximately 30 degrees
centigrade at the roof of the Presidential Place on or about July 19th,
1993.
The employer failed to adequately protect employees from a combination of
medium to high
metabolic work rate and environmental thermal conditions which are known
to causae or to be
likely to cause heat injuries.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to reduce heat
injuries is to adhere
to the recommendations of the American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists'
"Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents in
the Work
Environment with Intended Changes for 1985-86" and the National Institute
of Safety and
Health (NIOSH) "Occupational Exposure to Hot Environments" Revised
Criteria, 1986.  The
recommendations, among others, include:
a)  The recommended heat exposure limits shall not be exceeded for
employees based on the
employees' degree of acclimatization.
b)  Institute a medical surveillance program consisting of pre-placement
examinations and
periodic medical examinations for employees who are or may be exposed to
heat stress above
the recommended limits.
c)  All new and current workers, who are unacclimatized to heat who may
be exposed to limits
exceeding the recommended levels, shall be provided information and
training regarding heat
stress hazards, precautions, and factors which may aggravate heat stress.
d)  Provide special clothing, protective equipment, or engineering
controls, designed to control
the thermal balance (convective, radiative, and evaporative), so that
employees exposure does
not exceed the recommended levels.
e)  When engineering controls are not adequate or feasible, implement
work and hygienic
practices for reducing heat stress.  The most effective include, but are
not limited to:
1.  Adjusting the work-rest schedule to reduce exposure in the hot
environment by increasing
the time resting in a cool environment.
2.  Reducing the metabolic rate of work by mechanization, issue of
special tools, or increasing
the number of worker for each task.
3.  Increase heat tolerance by acclimatization and physical fitness.
4.  Implementing a buddy system where employees watch fellow employees
for
early signs of
heat intolerance as weakness, unsteady gait, irritability,
disorientation, changes in skin color,
or general malaise.
5.  Providing adequate amounts of cool water and encouraging all
employees to drink a cup of
water every 15 to 20

Issued

Jan 18, 1994

Abate by

Jan 21, 1994

Penalty

Initial $5,600 · Current $2,800 Reduced