Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1674039.015 - Jose Luis Ruiz-Balvantin

Inspection Information - Office: Austin Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:57 p.m. on May 31, 2023, an employee was working as a temporary construction laborer with Coworker #1, the client/owner at the site. Coworker #1 owned several rentals for both residential and business purposes. Coworker #1 and the employee were working outside doing various tasks preparing sites for additional contractors to arrive over the course of a week. The employee was working on a decorative stone and mortar wall around the bottom of a small cabin. Around 7:00 a.m., the employee arrived on site and began work. The employee and Coworker #1 were preparing an area for Coworker #2 (an electrical subcontractor) to arrive and hook up power to an air conditioner. The employee had to dig a shallow trench two to three inches deep and thirty to forty-five feet long to bury the electrical conduit. The coworker stated he left for an appointment and noted Coworker #2. Nearly thirty minutes later Coworker #2 stated the employee reported feeling ill and complained of a headache. The employee went inside the cabin with the air conditioner on to rest. Around 1:30 p.m., Coworker #2 went to another cabin and began working on the air conditioning ducts. Coworker #2 stated he heard a yell and went to the window to see the employee face down between two cabins. The second cabin was occupied by a tenant who called 911. Coworker #2 ran outside and began life-saving measures. Fire, EMS, and the police were dispatched to the location and took over life-saving measures but the employee could not be revived and had died on site. The Count Medical Examiner (ME) arrived at the location shortly after and transported the employee for additional examination. The ME reported atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease and environmental hyperthermia. Additional autopsy demonstrated an enlarged heart with thickening of the main pumping chambers likely secondary to chronic hypertension atherosclerotic stenosis of multiple major vessels supplying blood to the heart.

Keywords: Artery, Asphyxiated, Building, Cardiovasc Disease, Cardiovasc System, Construction, Coronary artery disease, Dehydration, Heart, Heat, Heat Exhaustion, High Temperature, Installing, Laborer, Medical Condition, Medical History, Overheated, Residential Construction, Underlying Medical Condition