OSHA Inspection: GONZALES MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Issued

Aug 18, 2003

Abate by

Sep 5, 2003

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $2,400 Reduced

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 doing yard work at the
company's grounds on
or about 07-29-03. Exposure to excessive heat may lead to the development
of serious heat
related illnesses, such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heart attack:
(a) At the plant located at 2900 Johnson Street, Gonzales, TX.,
employee(s) were
exposed to hazardous levels of heat while performing yard work, consisting
of mowing grass,
and weed eating around the plant, on or about 2:20 PM on 07-29-03,
resulting in an employee
sustaining a fatal heart attack with heat exhaustion as a contributing
factor.
The heat index on
07-29-03 reached an afternoon high of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F) in
the vicinity of the
work site. The estimated metabolic work load for the employee(s) 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 weed eating duties at the front of the
plant consisted of holding
a weed eater (estimated weight 15-20 pounds) at arm's length for extended
periods of time.
Among other methods, feasible and useful, one method of abatement to
reduce or eliminate these
hazards would be to develop and implement a formal heat stress program to
include:
a. Establishing provisions for a monitored 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 both length and frequency;
b. Using heat rest 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 acclimatization program to increase the heat
tolerance of new workers;
e.Initiating a screening program to identify health conditions aggravated
by elevated by rising
temperatures, such as obesity;
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 with
signs or symptoms of a serious heat related illness, such as heat stroke
or exhaustion;
h. maintaining ice or iced water in  adequate amounts for immediate first
aid to heat affected
persons; and
i. Initiating a continuing training program to inform employees of:
1. The hazards of heat related injuries and illnesses 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 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 the 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.