OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14504377
RESPIRATORY,TANK TRUCK,CONFINED SPACE,HYDROGEN SULFIDE,WORK RULES,INHALATION,TANK CLEANING,RESPIRATOR
Event description
EXPOSURE TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN A CONFINED SPACE
Investigation abstract
AN EMPLOYEE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN OUT A STAINLESS STEEL TRACTOR TRAILER T RONER AND PATHOLOGIST REPORTS CONCLUDED THAT ACUTE EXPOSURE TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE WAS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF DEATH. NO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT OF ANY TYPE WA S WORN. NO PROCEDURES FOR CONFINED SPACE ENTRY WERE IN PLACE OR FOLLOWED. ANKER WHICH HAD BEEN UNLOADED ONLY MINUTES BEFORE. THE TANKER HAD BEEN LOADED 12 HOURS EARLIER IN MISSISSIPPI WITH A CARGO OF INEDIBLE EGGS (IN LIQUID FORM, WIT HOUT SHELLS). THE EMPLOYEE ENTERED THE TANKER TO HOSE IT OUT WITH WATER IN PREPA RATION FOR SANITIZATION OF THE TANKER INTERIOR. A FOREMAN STOPPED TO CHECK ON TH E PROGRESS OF THE OPERATION ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER AND OBSERVED THE WORKER UNCON SCIOUS IN THE TANKER UNDER ITS MANHOLE. THE FOREMAN EXPERIENCED DELAY IN SUMMONI NG HELP AND DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THE WORKER OUT OF THE TANKER. THE EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE NEAREST RURAL HOSPITAL, WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. THE CO
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 19 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
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.