OSHA Inspection: POLEK BROTHERS TOBACCO, LLC

Issued

Feb 9, 2021

Abate by

Mar 29, 2021

Penalty

Initial $9,557 · Current $5,734 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  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 workers were exposed to excessive heat:   174 NORTH MAPLE STREET, ENFIELD, CT:  Between August 10, 2020 and August 12, 2020, the employer exposed approximately 53 employees to the hazards of excessive ambient heat from environmental conditions, exertional requirements or both. Between the hours of approximately 7:30 am to 6:00 pm each day, employees harvested, cut, handled and hooked broad leaf tobacco from a field. The temperature and heat index, respectively, reached 95 degrees F and 97 degrees F on August 10, 94 degrees F and 97 degrees F on August 11, and 92 degrees F and 94 degrees F on August 12. The exposure led to an employee suffering a heat-related illness on August 11, 2020, which eventually led to his death. He was found unresponsive at approximately 3:30pm. EMS transported him to the hospital, where, despite their efforts to cool him, he registered a core body temperature of 107.1 degrees F. The hospital treated the employee in the ICU until he died on August 27, 2020. The employer failed to take adequate precautions to minimize employees' exposure to excessive ambient heat.

Issued

Feb 9, 2021

Penalty

Initial $6,827 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.39(a)(1):The employer did not report within 8-hours the death of an employee resulting from a work-related incident.  On or about August 27, 2020, an employee who collapsed due to hyperthermia on August 11, 2020 while cutting tobacco succumbed to his injuries.  The employer did not report the fatality within 8 hours.

Issued

Feb 9, 2021

Penalty

Initial $6,827 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.39(a)(2):The employer did not report within 24-hours a work-related incident resulting in in-patient hospitalization, amputation or the loss of an eye.  174 North Maple Street, Enfield, CT  On or about August 11, 2020, an employee collapsed while cutting tobacco in the field.  Enfield EMS was summoned to the scene and transported the employee to BayState Medical Center where he was admitted to the ICU.  The employer never called OSHA to report the hospitalization.