OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14507305
ASBESTOS REMOVAL SPECIALIST
DURANGO, CO—
Event description
EXPOSURE TO CARBON MONOXIDE FROM GAS-ENGINE SPRAYER
Investigation abstract
THE FIVE INJURED EMPLOYESS WERE ENGAGED IN AN ASBESTOS REMOVAL PROJECT IN AN OLD WERE RUN THROUGH THE AIR LOCK DOOR INTO THE SHROUD. THE CARBON MONOXIDE, HOWEVE R, CONTINUED TO BE PULLED INTO THE SHROUD, SINCE THE SHROUD WAS UNDER NEGATIVE P RESSURE. AFTER 40 MINUTES OF WORK, EMPLOYEE #2 LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AND WAS CARRIE D OUT. THE REMAINING EMPLOYEES LEFT THE SHROUD, EXPERIENCING SEVERE HEADACHES, C HEST PAINS AND VOMITING. ALL THE EMPLOYEES WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. BLOOD CAR BOXYHEMOGLOBIN LEVELS WERE FOUND TO RANGE FROM 28.5% TO 35%. EMPLOYEE #2 REMAINE D IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 3 DAYS. GROCERY STORE. A SHROUD WAS UTILIZED TO CONTAIN THE ASBESTOS REMOVAL WORK. ON T HE DAY OF THE EVENT TWO GAS-POWERED HIGH PRESSURE WATER SPRAYERS WERE BEING USED TO REMOVE THE REMAINING ASBESTOS FROM THE CEILING. IN THE MORNING THE SPRAYERS WERE FIRST PLACED INSIDE THE SHROUD. THE EMPLOYEES WORKED FOR ONE HOUR AND BEGAN EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS OF CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE (HEADACHES AND NAUSEA). THE PRO JECT SUPERVISOR AND FOREMAN, ALSO WORKING INSIDE THE SHROUD, WERE NOTIFIED OF TH E SYMPTONS. AFTER THE LUNCH BREAK, THEY ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY PLAC ING THE SPRAYERS IN AN AIR LOCK AREA, LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE THE SHROUD. THE HOSES
Victims (5)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 23 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- 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.