OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #571687
CONFINED SPACE,PPE,TANK,SLUDGE,RESPIRATOR
Event description
OVERCOME BY HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE IN CLARIFIER TANK
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEE #2, HIRED AS SUMMER HELP, WAS WORKING INSIDE A CLARIFIER TANK WHICH WAS THE EMPLOYEE THEN ENTERED THE TANK AND ATTEMPTED TO REVIVE EMPLOYEE #2. HE COULD NOT, SO HE EXITED THE TANK AND RAN INTO THE YARD, WHERE HE ENCOUNTERED A FORKLI FT DRIVER. THE FORKLIFT DRIVER TOLD THE EMPLOYEE TO RUN INTO THE PLANT TO GET HE LP. THE FORKLIFT DRIVER THEN ENTERED THE TANK TO ATTEMPT A RESCUE. THE EMPLOYEE WHO HAD GONE FOR HELP THEN RETURNED WITH EMPLOYEE #1 AND SEVERAL OTHERS. EMPLOYE E #1, WHO WAS THE FATHER OF EMPLOYEE #2, ENTERED THE TANK IN AN EFFORT TO RESCUE HIS SON. THE FORKLIFT DRIVER EXITED THE TANK A FEW MINUTES LATER, ASSISTED BY A MAINTENANCE MAN RESPONDING TO THE ACCIDENT. AT THIS POINT THE MAINTENANCE SUPER INTENDENT ARRIVED AND TOOK CHARGE. THE SUPERINTENDENT, PLUS ANOTHER MAINTENANCE MAN, TWICE ATTEMPTED TO RESCUE THE EMPLOYEES IN THE TANK, BUT HAD TO GIVE UP BEC 6 FEET LONG BY 6 FEET WIDE BY 10 FEET DEEP. HE WAS MANUALLY REMOVING SLUDGE BY AUSE OF THE ATMOSPHERIC CONTAMINATION. THE SUPERINTENDENT FORBADE EVERYONE ELSE TO ENTER THE TANK. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO VENTILATE THE TANK WITH FANS AND A HIG H SPEED BLOWER UNTIL THE RESCUE SQUAD ARRIVED. RESCUE SQUAD MEMBERS, WEARING PRO TECTIVE SUITS AND SCBA'S, EXTRACTED THE TWO EMPLOYEES. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS PRONOUNCE D DEAD ON ARRIVAL AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL, AFTER REPEATED CPR ATTEMPTS. EMPLOYEE # 2 WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND LATER RELEASED. NEITHER EMPLOYEE WORKING IN T HE TANK WAS WEARING A RESPIRATOR, NOR WERE ANY OF THE COMPANY PERSONNEL WHO ATTE MPTED A RESCUE. THE WERE NO PROCEDURES IN EFFECT FOR ENTERING CONFINED SPACES. LOADING IT INTO BUCKETS WITH A SHOVEL. THIS REMOVAL OPERATION HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS, FIRST BY PUMPING OUT SLUDGE, THEN BY MANUAL SCOOPING. THE LEVEL OF SLUDGE IN THE TANK WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT FROM THE BOTTOM. BUC KETS OF SLUDGE WERE HOISTED FROM THE TANK BY ROPE, VIA A BLOCK AND TACKLE IN THE CEILING, BY ANOTHER EMPLOYEE ON THE OUTSIDE. AT APPROXIMATELY 11 AM ON 6-7-85, THE OUTSIDE EMPLOYEE HEARD A THUD IN THE TANK. HE CLIMBED THE LADDER TO INVESTIG ATE. HE SAW EMPLOYEE #2 STAGGER IN THE TANK AND THEN FALL OVER INTO THE SLUDGE.
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 43 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 18 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- 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.