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Laborer Dies While Clearing Snow After a Blizzard—Massachusetts										Related Pages
										Massachusetts Case Report: 18MA031
Release Date: February 2019

SUMMARY
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.
**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.Laborer Dies While Clearing Snow After a Blizzardpdf icon [PDF 1,060 KB]
							
					
						Page last reviewed:  April 13, 2020					Content source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health homeWorkplace Safety and Health Topics
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