OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14507313
DENVER AUTO AUCTION LTD
ENGLEWOOD, CO—
Event description
EMPLOYEES EXPOSED TO CARBON MONOXIDE IN ENCLOSED CAR WASH
Investigation abstract
THE CAR WASH OPERATION AT DENVER AUTO AUCTION CONSISTS OF ONE 17 FOOT BY 66 FOOT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. EMERGENCY HELP ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM AND O XYGEN WAS ADMINISTERED IMMEDIATELY. ALL FOUR EMPLOYEES WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE H OSPITAL. ONE EMPLOYEE WAS THREE MONTHS PREGNANT. BLOOD CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN LEVELS RANGED FROM 20.1 TO 20.7 PERCENT. BUILDING WITH A GARAGE DOOR AT EACH END. VEHICLES ARE DRIVEN IN, SPRAYED DOWN, RUN THROUGH AUTOMATIC WASH BRUSHES, RINSED OFF AND DRIED. ON FEBRUARY 6, 1985, S EVEN EMPLOYEES WERE INVOLVED IN THIS OPERATION. THE WEATHER WAS COLD (ABOUT 5 DE GREES FAHRENHEIT) AND BOTH GARAGE DOORS WERE CLOSED. A PROPANE SALAMANDER HEATER WAS BEING USED. THREE CARS WERE RUNNING SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE ENCLOSED GARAGE. WORK BEGAN AT 11:30 AM. AT 1:15 PM, EMPLOYEE #1, WHO WAS RINSING CARS AFTER THE WASH CYCLE, PASSED OUT AT HER STATION. SHE WAS CARRIED OUTSIDE AND THE RESCUE SQ UAD WAS CALLED. FOUR OTHER EMPLOYEES CAME OUT OF THE GARAGE SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF
Victims (4)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 16 F
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 18 F
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 25 F
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 18 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- 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.