Contractor Dies from Heat Exposure After Working at UA
By: Amanda Ashley
Updated: June 26, 2012
A 39-year-old man has died from heat exposure after working on University of Arkansas campus.
Washington County Coroner Roger Morris said the contractor had been laying sod at the school on Sunday when he began to feel disoriented. He was taken to the hospital and admitted with heat stroke symptoms.
According to Morris the man went into cardiac arrest on Monday and later died. They have not released the name of the victim.
Morris says this is the first heat-related death in 2012 in Washington County.
In response to the man's death, his employer, Flintco, LLC, has released a statement:
"Flintco, LLC, construction manager for the University of Arkansas Football Operations Center expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of the worker on that project who recently passed away. We are not releasing his name at this time out of consideration for his family's privacy. The worker was an employee of Symmetry, a company employed by Shaw Sportex. His co-workers reported that Sunday morning he was operating a forklift carrying turf for installation on the artificial practice field. Our understanding at this time is that during lunch with his co-workers they noticed he had become ill and drove him to Washington Regional Medical Center for treatment. His condition worsened and he passed away Monday evening around 7:00 p.m.
For further questions contact Flintco, LLC spokesperson, Dana Birkes at 918-629-0101 (cell) or 918-587-8451."
The University of Arkansas also released a statement Tuesday on the man's death:
"The University of Arkansas community was saddened to learn Tuesday of the death of a construction worker who was helping build athletics facilities on campus. The employee was working for a contractor hired by the university to construct new practice fields for the football team. On behalf of the entire U of A family, we offer our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers."
Washington County Coroner Roger Morris said the contractor had been laying sod at the school on Sunday when he began to feel disoriented. He was taken to the hospital and admitted with heat stroke symptoms.
According to Morris the man went into cardiac arrest on Monday and later died. They have not released the name of the victim.
Morris says this is the first heat-related death in 2012 in Washington County.
In response to the man's death, his employer, Flintco, LLC, has released a statement:
"Flintco, LLC, construction manager for the University of Arkansas Football Operations Center expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of the worker on that project who recently passed away. We are not releasing his name at this time out of consideration for his family's privacy. The worker was an employee of Symmetry, a company employed by Shaw Sportex. His co-workers reported that Sunday morning he was operating a forklift carrying turf for installation on the artificial practice field. Our understanding at this time is that during lunch with his co-workers they noticed he had become ill and drove him to Washington Regional Medical Center for treatment. His condition worsened and he passed away Monday evening around 7:00 p.m.
For further questions contact Flintco, LLC spokesperson, Dana Birkes at 918-629-0101 (cell) or 918-587-8451."
The University of Arkansas also released a statement Tuesday on the man's death:
"The University of Arkansas community was saddened to learn Tuesday of the death of a construction worker who was helping build athletics facilities on campus. The employee was working for a contractor hired by the university to construct new practice fields for the football team. On behalf of the entire U of A family, we offer our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers."
