Laborer Dies While Clearing Snow After a Blizzard—Massachusetts

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.

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