OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #677146
SUN CHEMICAL CORP., GENERAL PRINTING INK DIV.
SPRINGDALE, OH·
Event description
Employee dies when overexposed to toluene
Investigation abstract
On September 3, 1987, Employee #1 had used a large handheld pad of steel wool an d a few gallons of reclaim solvent, comprised largely of toluene, to clean the w alls and floor of a 40 in. tall, 37 in. diameter cylindrical metal tub. He clock ed out of work at 8:00 p.m. but was found dead in the tub the next morning. Conf idential personnel file data indicated that Employee #1 had received two previou s written reprimands for cleaning tubs that were already clean just for the sake of getting high on toluene vapors. Respirators have not been worn during tub cl eaning operations in the past. Air sampling is being performed to evaluate the e xposure levels which occur when tub cleaning is performed in a normal manner.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2460
- Task assigned
- 1
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