![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090122115358im_/http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/images/line.jpg)
California Department of Health Services
This
document is available in spanish. (Este documento está disponible
en español.)
This document is a summary of a larger
document in english.
SUMMARY : CASE
292-127-01
Manual
lettuce harvesting is often a two-person job. One person cuts
the lettuce (the picker), while the other picks it up and
packs it into a box (the packer). When full, these boxes weigh
about 60 pounds. Wheel barrows are used to move these boxes.
On the
day of this incident, it was unusually hot. The lettuce packer
began packing lettuce early in the morning, and continued
into the afternoon. However, he needed to take many breaks
to drink water. During his lunch break, he only drank water
and didn't eat anything. When back at work in the field, he
collapsed. His supervisor called for an ambulance. The ambulance
crew immediately started cooling him down by pouring fluids
over him. He was taken to a hospital, where he was given treatment
for heatstroke. He stayed in the hospital for close to a month.
Although he recovered and went home, he has been advised not
to return to this type of work in hot environments until he
is examined again.
How
could this injury have been prevented?
- Educate
workers and field supervisors on early signs of heatstroke.
- Have
workers immediately stop working if they show signs of heatstroke.
- Take
immediate action to cool a worker if they become sick on
a hot day.
- Make
work tasks as easy as possible (especially on hot days).
- Provide
shade for workers on hot sunny days.
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090122115358im_/http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/images/line.jpg)
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
document,
CDHS(COHP)-FI-92-005-16
,
was extracted from a series of the Nurses Using Rural Sentinal
Events (NURSE) project, conducted by the California Occupational
Health Program of the California Department of Health Services,
in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. Publication date: October 1992.
The
NURSE (Nurses Using Rural Sentinel Events) project is conducted
by the California Occupational Health Program of the California
Department of Health Services, in conjunction with the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The program's
goal is to prevent occupational injuries associated with agriculture.
Injuries are reported by hospitals, emergency medical services,
clinics, medical examiners, and coroners. Selected cases are
followed up by conducting interviews of injured workers, co-workers,
employers, and others involved in the incident. An on-site
safety investigation is also conducted. These investigations
provide detailed information on the worker, the work environment,
and the potential risk factors resulting in the injury. Each
investigation concludes with specific recommendations designed
to prevent injuries, for the use of employers, workers, and
others concerned about health and safety in agriculture.
|