Robert Box | Exclusive to Corridor News
Heat-induced illnesses aren’t typically the first hazards considered by employers with outside workers in late September, particularly with Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT) of 86.2 degrees Fahrenheit, but it was enough for a worker to die from heat stroke. With summer right around the corner, employers who do not have a Heat Stress Management Program should consider establishing one now.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) cited Southeastern Subcontractors, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida for allegedly failing to protect workers from extreme heat in late September of 2017.
According to OSHA’s citation, Southeastern Subcontractors workers were performing duties on a residential roof where ambient temperatures were high (heat index was 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and workers were in direct sunlight. Working in these alleged conditions were enough to exacerbate complications that eventually lead to heat stroke and death of the worker.
There is no specific heat-related illness prevention standard published by OSHA, but OSHA does publish various tools and training resources on its website, and the agency does issue citations related to heat-induced hazards at the workplace as we reported last year in an article last year, “Is A Heat Stress Program Required BY OSHA?”
Utilizing the General Duty Clause (OSH Act of 1970 Section 5(a)(1)), OSHA cites employers for exposing workers to environments that could lead to the development of serious heat-related illnesses such as, but not limited to, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
OSHA recommends employers who expose workers to hot environments to establish a Heat Stress Management Program. Such a program should include:
Southeastern Subcontractors, Inc. is permitted 15 business days from the receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to pay the penalty and comply with the citation’s directives, schedule an informal conference with OSHA’s Area Director, or contest the findings in front of the independent Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.
Robert Box is the owner of Safety First Consulting and is a contributor of SM Corridor News. Box helps businesses identify OSHA compliance issues in their workplaces, manage their safety programs and become accountable for the results. In addition to offering custom written safety programs for companies, Safety First Consulting provides required safety training, industrial hygiene sampling, noise sampling and workplace inspections. You can read more from Robert Box under Business.
The San Marcos City Council received a presentation on the Sidewalk Maintenance and Gap Infill…
The San Marcos River Rollers have skated through obstacles after taking a two-year break during…
San Marcos Corridor News has been reporting on the incredible communities in the Hays County…
Visitors won't be able to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Jacobs Well Natural…
Looking to adopt or foster animals from the local shelter? Here are the San Marcos…
The Lone Star State leads the nation in labor-related accidents and especially workplace deaths and…
This website uses cookies.