OSHA Inspection: COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Jan 21, 1998

Abate by

Feb 23, 1998

Penalty

Initial $1,138 · Current $1,138

Hazardous substances 8330

General-duty citation text

cause serious harm to
workers.
Acute heat illnesses: A number of physiological problems are related to the
buildup of excessive heat in the body.  They range from annoying skin
rashes to
potentially fatal heat stroke.  Heat rash is often associated with hot,
humid environments.
It is caused when sweat cannot freely evaporate from the skin and sweat
ducts become
North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and
plugged.  Inflammation of the plugged seat ducts causes a rash of tiny red
blisterlike
eruptions to develop.  If the plugged sweat ducts become infected, a case
of heat rash
may become of uncomfortable that it can be disabling.  Heat cramps are
caused when the
loss of body fluids and salt via sweating exceeds 1 percent of body water.
Serious
consequences of this body dehydration results.  Blood volume is reduced
and there may
Health Act of North
be insufficient blood supply to the brain.  Loss of consciousness may
occur.  Reduced
blood volume also makes further effects of heat stress more likely.  Work
performance
Carolina:  The employer did not furnish to each of his employees
conditions of 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:
Heat Stress, above the guidelines recommended by the American Conference
of Governmental
is impaired.  Shriveled skin, dry mouth/tongue, and sunken eyes appear.
If the fluids
lost through sweating are replenished without sufficient salt replacement,
heat cramps
occur - painful spasms of large muscles primarily used during work, i.e.
arm, leg, back,
abdominal.  Heat exhaustion is caused by inadequate blood supply.  The
heat removal
job of the blood causes blood to pool in the skin, less blood is available
Industrial Hygienists and published in the ACGIH's "1996 TLVs and BEIs -
to oxygenate thebrain.  Early symptoms include fatigue, headache,
dizziness, profuse sweating, rapid
pulse rate, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.  Disorientation and
fainting may pose
risks of physical injury from falling.  Heat Stroke is the most severe and
life-threatening
of the 4 main acute heat stress induced ailments.  The core body
temperature rises so
high that the body's normal cooling mechanisms cease to function.  Above a
core body
Threshold Limit
temperature of 105 degrees-F, sweating ceases.  Protein denaturation,
enzyme
degradation, and changes in the structure/function of cells cause tissue
damage
Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents Biological Exposure
Indices".  Permissible
Heat Exposure Threshold Limit Values were arrived at by an examination of
each job category's
requirements and the work-rest regimen.  The heat stress TLVs refer to
heat stress conditions
under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly
exposed without adverse
and death.
The brain is especially sensitive, and convulsions or unconsciousness
result.  Heat stroke
is a medical emergency.  Irreversible brain damage may result.  Warning
signs such as
heat cramps or exhaustion are not always precursors of heat stroke.
Victims often get
so involved in what they are doing that they ignore any symptoms until
they are in an
health effects.  These TLVs are based on the assumption that nearly all
emergency situation from which they cannot recover without aid.
Therefore, it is
extremely important that employees are not assigned to do vigorous work
alone in hot
locations.  C. D. Crutchfield.  Industry Guide #35 Preventing Heat Stress.
NC DOL
OSH Division, 1994.
Chronic heat illnesses are after-effects of the above acute heat
illnesses.  They
include reduced heat tolerance, dysfunction of sweat glands, reduced
acclimatized, fully
sweating capacity,
muscle soreness, stiffness, reduced mobility, chronic heat exhaustion, and
cellular
damage to different organs - particularly in the central nervous system,
heart, kidneys,
and liver.  After several months of exposure to a hot working environment,
chronic heat
exhaustion may be experienced.  Symptoms include headache, gastric pain,
sleep
disturbance, irritability, tachycardia (rapid heart beat), vertigo
(dizziness), and nausea.
After many years in a hot job, cumulative effects of long-term exposure
that may develop
are hypertension (high blood pressure), reduced libido, sexual impotency,
myocardial
(heart tissue) damage, nonmalignant diseases of the digestive organs, and
hypochromia
(a condition in which the red blood cells have an abnormally low
percentage of
hemoglobin).  Dukes-Dobos, FN: Hazards of heat exposure: a review.  Scand.
J. Work
Environ.  Health 7: 73-83, 1981.
Feasible and acceptable abatement methods would include, but not be
limited to, the following:
1)Cool the "bricks", i.e. brake pads/linings that come out of the ovens,
in an area
away from workstations, i.e. near an open dock, warehouse, or staging area
rather that having stacks of them throughout the plant where they give off
heat
to the work area.
2)Encourage employees to drink water more often: 1 cup every 15-20 minutes;
make water more accessible, i.e. right at the work station by providing
personal
water bottles.
3)Slow the work pace down during especially hot periods.
4)Provide more and longer breaks during especially hot periods; have a
"rover"
(line relief worker) to help out.  Breaks, as is, are not long enough when
one
considers the time to travel to and from the "cool room"/air-conditioned
upstairsbreakroom/cafeteria, i.e. 10 minutes in the "cool room" is not
adequate with the
high heat load workers experience.
5)Plan more automation in the compounding area (one of the more strenuous
jobs);
seek engineering assistance to design labor-saving devices.  This would
also help
to reduce ergonomically-related health problems, strains, etc.  Buy in
bulk.
6)Develop a written policy for Heat Stress Problems; be specific.
Example: To
permit an employee to go to a "cool room" when they decide they need to is
too
general a guideline.  Employees must be trained/taught to recognize the
signs and
symptoms of heat stress problems, and to be able to recognize these
symptoms
not only in themselves but also in their coworkers.  Never let a person go
to a
"cool room" alone if they are experiencing heat stress symptoms - they
cold lose
consciousness on the way or once inside the "cool room".
7)Investigate the possibility of providing workers with head/neck
bandannas that are
filled with a type of small, gelatin-like beads.  These "bandannas" are
put in the
refrigerator/freezer (may be used over and over, recycled) and then worn
around
the head/neck area.  They cool for approximately 2-3 hours, and are
inexpensive,
approximately $2.50 each.
8)Develop an "Acclimatization Program" for new workers who begin duties in
late
spring/summer.
9)Since the restrooms are considered a possible "cool room" for breaks,
air-
condition them.  Employees reported that restrooms are as hot or even
hotter than
the workstations.
10)Provide more pedestal fans - workstations need more air exchange/air
movement;
install more exhaust fans in the ceiling.  Every interviewed employee made
this
suggestion for heat relief.
No other standard applies to the prevention of heat-stress induced
injuries/illnesses except for
the General Duty Requirement, NCGS 95-129(1)
clothed (e.g., lightweight pants and shirt) workers with adequate water
and salt intake should
be able to function effectively under the given working conditions without
exceeding a deep body
temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since measurement of deep body
temperature is
impractical for monitoring the workers' heat load, the measurement of
environmental factors is
required which most nearly correlate with deep body temperature and other
physiological
responses to heat.  At the present time, the WBGT Index is the simplest
and most suitable
technique to measure the environmental factors.  WBGT values were
calculated by the equation
for Indoors or Outdoors with no solar load: WBGT = 0.7 NWB + 0.3 GT where
WBGT =
Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index, NWB = Natural Wet-Bulb Temperature, and
GT = Globe
Temperature.  The Permissible Heat Exposure Threshold Limit Value (degrees
F) are listed
below for each job category monitored for heat stress along with the
actual heat stress load as
measured on 07-28-97.  Higher heat exposures that those permissible can be
allowed
if the
workers have been undergoing medical surveillance and it has been
established that they are
more tolerant to work in heat than the average worker, both of which were
not done for the
workers which were monitored on 07-28-97.  The measured heat stress index
and the permissible
heat exposure threshold limit values (both in degrees Fahrenheit) are
given below for those job
categories monitored in the facility's finishing and processing
departments:
a)for the employee(s) who worked at the #18 press area (Continuous
work/Moderate work load) and were exposed to a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature
Index (WBGT) = 89 on 07-28-97 at 03:30 pm; permissible heat exposure
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) = 80.
b)for the employee(s) who worked at the press (Continuous/Moderate)
farthest from
the #18 press area and were exposed to a WBGT = 86 on 07-28-97 at 05:45 pm;
TLV = 80.
c)for the employee(s) who worked at the pre-form area (Continuous/Heavy)
and
were exposed to a WBGT = 85.8 on 07-28-97 at 05:35 pm; TLV = 77.
d)for the employee(s) who worked at the mezzanine area (Continuous/Light-
Moderate) and who were exposed to a WBGT = 88 on 07-28-97 at 05:05 pm;
TLV = 83.
e)for the employee(s) who worked at the compounder area (Continuous/Heavy)
near
the back of the building and who were exposed to a WBGT = 80 on 07-28-97
at 06:35 pm; TLV = 77.
f)for the employee(s) who worked at the slab saw area
(Continuous/Moderate) and
who were exposed to a WBGT = 80.8 on 07-28-97 at 06:15 pm; TLV = 80.
The hazards to health and life from exposure to heat stress have been
recognized by the industry.
The Hazard evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch of NIOSH (National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), upon a request from the
United Rubber
Workers, performed an evaluation of apparent excess of heart disease among
workers at
the Uniroyal-Goodrich Company (SIC-3011), Opelika, Alabama.  The
evaluation was
performed in August, 1986 - 64 dry bulb, wet bulb, globe thermometer, and
wet bulb
globe thermometer (WBGT) measurements were collected using two WIBGET Model
R55-2110 heat stress monitors.  WBGT readings ranged from 84 to 89
degrees-F on
August 19-20, 1986.  Moderately heavy work while walking produced 300-400
kcal/hour.  Therefore, the NIOSH recommended heat-stress exposure limit
for 45
minutes per hour of tire-curing work was 82-84 degrees-F WBGT.  Reports of
the study
were sent to Uniroyal-Goodrich and United Rubber Workers representatives,
among
other groups.  Heat Stress was evaluated in the Tire Curing Department
where
temperatures ranged from 82 to 84 degrees-F.  A case control study
demonstrated no
association between work in the Curing Department and the incidence of
myocardial
infarction.  However, the report stressed that steps be taken,
nevertheless, to control
radiant heat and most importantly, to educate and train workers in ways to
recognize
and
avoid heat stress.  Recommendations to minimize the risk of heat-related
illness and
injury were included in Section VIII of the report.  The report stressed
that industrial
heat problems involved a combination of four environmental factors (air
temperature and
velocity, moisture content of air, and radiant temperature) which produced
a working
environment that may be extremely uncomfortable or even hazardous because
of an
imbalance of metabolic heat production and heat loss.  The report listed
the 4 most
serious, acute, heat stress related physical disabilities caused by
excessive heat exposure
in order of increasing severity: heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion,
and heat stroke
along with their symptoms and results to the individual's health.
Furthermore, the report
also listed and detailed chronic heat illnesses which are the
after-effects of acute heat
illnesses.  These chronic heat illnesses are rarely reported in the
literature on heat stress.
These chronic after-effects included reduced heat tolerance, dysfunction
of sweat glands,
reduced sweating capacity, muscle soreness, stiffness, reduced mobility,
chronic heat
exhaustion, and cellular damage in different organs, particularly in the
central nervous
system, heart, kidneys, and liver.  After several months of exposure to a
hot working
environment, chronic heat exhaustion may be experienced.  Symptoms include
headache,
gastric pain, sleep disturbance, irritability, tachycardia, vertigo, and
nausea.  After many
years in a hot job, cumulative effects of long-term exposure that may
develop are
hypertension, reduced libido, sexual impotency, myocardial damage,
nonmalignant
diseases of the digestive organs, and hypochromia, i.e. low percentage of
hemoglobin
in red blood cells.  NIOSH originally defined hot environmental conditions
as anycombination of air temperature, humidity, radiation, and wind speed
that exceeded wet
bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 79 degrees-F.  The revised NIOSH criteria
and the
ACGIH TLV present a permissible heat exposure for different work-rest
regimens and
work loads at different WBGT values.  NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation
Report.
HETA 86-015-1871.  Uniroyal-Goodrich.  Opelika, Alabama.  February, 1988.
In response to a request received from a representative of employees, NIOSH
conducted a health hazard survey, which included heat stress, to evaluate
the potential
hazards associated with the use of cutting oil coolants used in the
production of
automobile and disc brakes at the Budd Company, Automotive Division Plant,
Clinton,
Michigan in March, 1973.  The plant exclusively produced disc brakes for
automotive
and truck assemblies.  Only the drum portion of the brake was produced.
Subsequent
discussions indicated that exposure of employees to heat were of
substance.  The report
stated that in general, well adults performing continuous moderate work
can easily
tolerate a wet black globe temperature of 80 degrees-F without developing
heat disorders.
Heat measurements taken at time of survey gave a peak wet bulb globe
temperature
(WBGT) slightly more than 77 degrees-F which, according to the 1973
criteria for heat
stress established by ACGIH, would be acceptable on a continuous basis, at
even a
maximal continuous workload.  It was found that radiant heating was not an
important
factor in the total heat load.  The report recommended that if worker
complaints about
hot conditions persisted, some amelioration of the environment (from a
comfort
standpoint) could be achieved by usage of properly placed man-cooling
fans, i.e.
improved evaporative cooling could be achieved by increasing air movement.
The results
of the study were sent to company and workers representatives.  NIOSH
Health Hazard
Evaluation/Toxicity Determination Report 72-35-34.  The Budd Company,
Automotive
Division, Clinton, Michigan.  PB-229 645.  March, 1973.
Both the acute effects and the chronic effects of heat stress are likely
to