OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14544118
FINNAREN & HALEY PAINTS
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA·
Event description
EMPLOYEE KILLED BY METHYLENE CHLORIDE INHALATION
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 was assigned the job of removing paint residue from a tote bin using a methylene chloride-based paint stripper. The paint stripper was to be applied around the outside lid and on the outside of the container only. At approximate ly 10:00 a.m. Employee #1 was discovered inside of the tote bin hunched over on his knees. Employee #1 was wearing a 3M half mask respirator with organic vapor cartridges. Employee #1 was declared dead at 11:37 a.m., apparently due to an ac ute exposure to methylene chloride. Employee #1 had not been trained in the haza rds of non-routine tasks or the limitations of respirators.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 34 Male
- Nature of injury
- Poisoning(Systemic) (17)
- Part of body
- LUNG (28)
- Accident type
- INHALATION (8)
- Source of injury
- FUME (44)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
- Environmental factor
- GAS/VAPOR/MIST/FUME/SMOKE/DUST (7)
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- Task assigned
- Task not regularly assigned (2)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.