OSHA Inspection: HEART OF TEXAS GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $900 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 the hazards of excessive levels of heat stress while
performing donation
attendant duties on August 20, 2010, and at times prior thereto. Such
exposures may lead to the
development of serious heat-induced illnesses such as heat stroke, heat
exhaustion, heat syncope
(heat-induced loss of consciousness), heat cramps, heat rash, and
transient heat fatigue.
a) At the worksite located at Warrior Way Commissary, Bldg# 85020, Fort
Hood, Texas,
an employee was exposed to hazardous levels of heat while performing work
outside and
inside as a donation attendant on August 20, 2010, and at times prior
thereto. Such
exposures may lead to the development of serious heat-induced illnesses
such
as heat
stroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope (heat-induced loss of
consciousness), heat cramps,
heat rash, and transient heat fatigue. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature
(WBGT) index
inside the donation attendant shack ranged from 82.7 degrees F to 83.4
degrees F during
the 32 minute sampling period on August 20, 2010. The estimated metabolic
workload
for employees performing tasks as a donation attendant average as the
"moderate"
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). The duties of the donation
attendant
require unloading and moving of items from a personal vehicle to the
donation shack,
and consequent placement within. Depending upon the size of the item, this
workload
could be light or moderate based on the level of activity at the worksite.
The worksite
was located within the garrison commissary parking lot at the far
north-east end, but still
upon the asphalt parking surface. When not performing duties, the donation
attendant can
sit within the shack in a cushion recliner located in the north-west
corner of the structure.
The only ventilation for the shack is the open doorway, two small grated
vents at both
ends of the shack near the ceiling,  and a wind turbine vent in the middle
of the roof. On
the day of the inspection, the weather was sunny and a heat advisory had
been issued.
There were northerly wind gusts that provided some movement of air within
the shack.
The National Weather Service had issued a Heat Advisory for all of central
Texas for
August 20, 2010 due to daytime highs in the lower 100's and heat indices
of 103 or
above. There were no formal breaks other than a 30 minute lunch, but
employees were
encouraged to take breaks as needed. A 5-gallon Rubbermaid cooler was
provided by the
employer, but inside was a bag of ice and no water other than the melted
ice,
requiring
employees to furnish their own water at the work site. At the time of
inspection,
employees were working 8 hours per day 5 days a week. The employer has a
Health and
Safety Policy and Procedure Employee Manual that all new employees
receive, but heat
stress is not covered within the document. Employees are required to view
videos as part
of orientation, one of which is "Heat Can Kill", that states "immediate
first aid can mean
the difference between life and death." However, the work site is normally
manned by
one employee and is located away from a populated area, making first aid
difficult if the
employee succumbs to severe heat stress injury or illness. The work site
has no runningwater, plumbing or electricity, nor any phone or form of
communication provided by the
employer.
Means of feasible abatement to correct these hazard(s) include, but may
not be limited
to:
1. Development of a formal heat stress management program which
incorporates: (a) use
of heat stress instruments to monitor the work environment; (b) a heat
acclimation
program to increase heat tolerance of new employees and employees
returning from
periods of absence of 3 or more days; (c) provision of a cooler area where
heat-affected
employees may recover when symptoms of heat-related illness are recognized
in, or
reported by, employees; (d) availability of adequately trained personnel
at the work site
to treat workers that develop signs or symptoms of a serious heat related
illness, such as
heat stroke; (e) maintenance of ice or iced water in adequate amounts for
immediate first
aid to heat stroke victim(s); and (f) a continuing training program
informing employees
about: (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 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) Effects of
therapeutic drugs and
social drugs (including alcohol) that may increase the risk of heat injury
or illness by
reducing heat tolerance.
2. Implementation of engineering controls, such as additional vents and/or
windows,
mechanical ventilation, or relocation of the work site to a cooler venue.
3. Provide communications equipment or have at least two employees at each
work site
to ensure emergency services can be contacted or first aid can be
applied.d

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Sep 24, 2010

Penalty

Initial $1,800 · Current $900 Reduced

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010

Issued

Sep 20, 2010

Abate by

Nov 4, 2010