The case stemmed from the January 2012 serious citations Cal/OSHA issued to Tri-State Staffing (TSI), a temporary staffing agency, and warehouse operator National Distribution Center (NDC) for the heat illness
suffered by an employee in August 2011.
It failed to address the increased risk of heat illness
based on the weather forecast.
All [sic] Star Recycling failed to educate its workers about heat illness
and take the necessary precautions to protect them, and a worker died because of it," said the OSHA's area director Joann Figueroa in a statement.
There was a failure to implement an adequate medical plan to allow for treatment of any heat illness
Although heat-related mortality is extensively studied, not as much is known about heat-related morbidity generally or acute heat illness
specifically (Ye et al.
Fatalities due to heat illness
can be as high as 80 percent if immediate treatment is not received.
In ED records, a case of heat illness
was defined on the basis of ICD10-CA codes for conditions diagnosed as heatstroke, sunstroke, heat collapse, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat fatigue, heat edema or other effects of heat and light (Table 1).
He said that exposure to hot and humid environment for longer period of time causes the body to produce certain signs and symptoms known as heat illness
or heat stress.
It provides pictorial representations of the symptoms of heat illness
and what to do if a worker shows signs of becoming ill.
Heat stress disorders span a spectrum from minor heat illness
to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which could be a medical emergency because it can be lethal.
is a problem for high school athletes, with football players most at risk, a recent study found.
Dr Salim Adib, the manager of public health and research at HAAD said: "The aim is increasing awareness of heat stress and prevention of heat illness
among employers and workers to decrease heat-related illnesses in the emirate during the summer.