OSHA Inspection: TERRA FIRMA LAND SURVEYING AND PLANNING, INC.

Issued

Sep 22, 2000

Abate by

Oct 19, 2000

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8330

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 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.

Issued

Sep 22, 2000

Abate by

Oct 31, 2000

Hazardous substances 8330

Issued

Sep 22, 2000

Abate by

Sep 27, 2000

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $500 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8330