OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14445332
DEGREASER TANK,UNCONSCIOUSNESS,AIR LINE RESPIRATOR,CONFINED SPACE,METHYLENE CHLORIDE,INHALATION,SCBA,DIZZINESS,TANK
Event description
METHYLENE CHLORIDE INHALATION FROM VAPOR DEGREASER
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 1425 ON 7/5/84, EMPLOYEES #1, 2 AND 3 (MAINTENANCE MECHANICS) W THE TANK. THEY ALL BECAME DIZZY. PARAMEDICS SOON ARRIVED WITH S.C.B.A.'S TO RES CUE EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2. EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 SURVIVED. THE REST WERE CHECKED AT THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED. ERE DOING THE SEMIANNUAL DEGREASER TANK CLEANING. THE DEGREASER TANK IS 114" DEE P, 40" WIDE & 94" LONG. THE MEN HAD JUST FINISHED THE JOB. EMPLOYEE #2 CLIMBED T HE LADDER TO THE TOP AND REMOVED HIS AIRLINE RESPIRATOR (NO BODY HARNESS OR SAFE TY ROPE WAS USED). HE REMEMBERED THAT HE HAD LEFT A BOARD IN THE BOTTOM OF THE T ANK SO HE WENT BACK TO GET IT. HE DID NOT WEAR THE RESPIRATOR. BECAUSE OF INADEQ UATE VENTILATION, HE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AND COLLAPSED. EMPLOYEE #1 PUT ON THE RE SPIRATOR AND WENT IN TO HELP. HE REMOVED THE MASK TO GIVE AIR TO EMPLYEE #2 AND THEN LOST CONSCIOUSNESS HIMSELF. EMPLOYEES #3 THROUGH #8, IN SUCCESSION, ENTERED
Victims (8)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 48 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 549
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 56 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 549
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 41 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 549
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 55 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 503
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#5 Non-hospitalized injury Age 49 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 684
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#6 Non-hospitalized injury Age 49 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 684
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#7 Non-hospitalized injury Age 26 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 365
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#8 Non-hospitalized injury Age 49 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 389
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- 2
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.