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OSHA settles with Waste Management over death of temp

August 29, 2013

A settlement has been reached in the heat-related death of a temporary worker in New Jersey between Waste Management of New Jersey Inc. and the government, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported.

The worker died in June 2012 while picking up trash on a collection route in Hopewell Borough, N.J., according to OSHA.

Waste Management received an OSHA citation for one serious violation of the agency’s general duty clause. The violation came over the lack of a work rule in the company’s heat management program that addressed adequate fluid consumption, according to OSHA.

OSHA reports a heat stress management program should include: “a work/rest regimen that includes a provision to allow workers to become acclimated to extreme heat conditions; schedule work during cooler periods of the day; provide cool water and encourage water consumption of five to seven ounces every 15 to 20 minutes, rather than relying on thirst; and establish a screening program to identify workers with health conditions aggravated by exposure to heat stress. Employers should also provide training for all workers, including temporary workers, contractors and part-time workers, regarding the symptoms of heat-induced illness and its prevention.”