OSHA Inspection: SMITH MOUNTAIN INVESTMENTS, LLC

Issued

2019-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-12-20 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9282.00 · Current $7450.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): 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 while performing heavy physical activities.  Such exposure without being acclimatized can lead to life threatening heat related illnesses such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion:    The employer is failing to prevent employee exposure to heat-related illnesses.  On or about July 1, 2019, employees manually shoveled the circumference of approximately 48, 10-inch diameter telephone poles.  Two employees used hand shovels to expose the wooden poles approximately 18 inches below the level ground, such work required that each employee manually displace 2.7 cubic meter of soil or approximately 6,534 pounds of material.  Employees worked for approximately 12.5 hours in direct sunlight where heat index values ranged from 74.7-87.8F.  Employee exposure to heat from direct sunlight, metabolic heat load from the required work tasks, and lack of formal processes to allow employees to rest and recover, exposed employees to heat related illnesses including heat strain and heat stroke.   An employee collapsed after working approximately 12.5 hours and was pronounced dead from hyperthermia with a final body temperature of 106.3F.

Issued

2019-10-22 00:00:00

Abate by

2019-12-20 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $9282.00 · Current $7450.00 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.151(b): The employer failed to ensure that in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician, that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the work site, which is available for the treatment of injured employees, a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training was available the worksite to render first aid.     The employer is failing to ensure that a person is trained and available to perform first aid at the jobsite.  This was most recently documented at the intersection of 3rd Ave and Main St in Inman, Nebraska on July 1, 2019 when an employee collapsed from heat stress and no employees or supervisors were trained to provide first aid.  The nearest hospital was over 10 minutes away and it relies on a voluntary fire department for ambulatory services.  The employee later died from heat related injuries.