Report summary and highlights
On January 5, 2018, a 60-year-old laborer died while clearing snow in the early morning after a blizzard. At the time of the incident, the laborer was operating a snow blower to clear snow from a sidewalk. The laborer suffered a myocardial infarction and collapsed to the ground.
| Incident Highlights | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 5, 2018 |
| Time | 3:45 a.m. |
| Victim | 60-year old male laborer |
| Industry/NAICS Code | Public Sector/ 221310 |
| Employer | Public water and sewer authority |
| Safety & Training | Safety training and a comprehensive program |
| Scene | Water storage facility in a residential area |
| Location | Massachusetts |
| Event Type | Overexertion |
Contributing factors
Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include:
- Pre-existing medical conditions;
- Overexertion;
- Extreme cold;
- Early morning; and
- Working alone.
Recommendations
Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should:
- Consider factors that may impact the risk of acute cardiac events such as time of day, physical demands of the task, and environmental conditions when scheduling tasks.
- Ensure workers in cold environments are adequately warm by developing protocols to prevent cold stress.
- Consider developing policies that prevent working alone in certain situations.
- Train workers on basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and consider having an automated external defibrillator (AED) available at work sites and provide training for workers on their use.
- Educate all workers about the work conditions that might increase their risk of cardiovascular disease and the signs of cardiac arrest.
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| Date published: | March 25, 2019 |
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