OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #867788

TOTAL TANK SERVICES, INC.

CLEVELAND, OH· 1989-03-03T00:00:00

Event: CARDIOVASC SYSTEM, ASPHYXIATED, VENTILATION, METHYLENE CHLORIDE, INHALATION, TANK CLEANING
NAICS: 000000
Inspection type: Accident-driven
Activity number: #105934665
Employer profile: TOTAL TANK SERVICES, INC.
Summary number: 867788
Report ID: 522300

Event description

EMPLOYEE KILLED BY INHALATION OF METHYLENE CHLORIDE

Investigation abstract

At 11:00 a.m. on March 3, 1989, Employee #1 was working on top of a 4 foot by 6 ployee #1 was transported to a hospital at 11:19 a.m. in a state of full cardiop ulmonary arrest. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at 11:26 a.m. An autopsy determ ined the cause of death was inhalation of methylene chloride. foot portable tank which was just cleaned with methylene chloride. Employee #1 h ad a beard and was wearing a half mask chemical cartridge organic vapor respirat or. Shortly thereafter, Employee #1 was found unresponsive inside the tank after having entered through an opening on top. The usual way to enter is to lay the tank on its side and to wear an air-supplied respirator when entering. This comp any had three employees that routinely enter tanks to give them their final clea ning. The company had three air-supplied respirators on site. Employee #1 was re moved from the tank. EMS personnel administered treatment upon their arrival. Em

Victims (2)

#1 Fatality Age 36 Male

Nature of injury
Asphyxia (2)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
CHEM LIQUIDS/VAPORS (9)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
INSUFF/LACK/RESPIRATORY PROCTECT (19)

Environmental factor
GAS/VAPOR/MIST/FUME/SMOKE/DUST (7)

Hazardous substance
1730

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#981

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.