UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

FIVE PEOPLE ENTERED THE HOLD OF A SURFACE STORAGE BARGE IN WHICH THE ATMOSPHERE COTAINED APPROXIMATELY 10% OXYGEN. THE FIRST PERSON TO ENTER (EMPLOYEE #3) DID SO FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO ENTERED THE SPACE DID SO IN AN EFFORT TO RESCUE EMPLOYEE #3. EMPLOYEE #3 SURVIVED WHILE EMPLOYEES #2 AND #3 DIED. THE TWO CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES WHO ENTERED WERE ABLE TO SELF RESCUE. APPROXIMATELY 28 HOURS AFTER THE EVENT THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WERE DETECTED IN THE HOLD: OXYGEN - 10% (12% AFTER THE HOLD HAD BEEN OPEN FOR 45 MINUTES), CARBON DIOXIDE - 0.12%, COMBUSTIBLE GASES - 3% OF LEL (SUBSTANCE UNIDENTIFIED) AND CARBON MONOXIDE - 300 PPM. THE OXYGEN DEFICIENCY APPARENTLY RESULTED FROM SURFACE OXIDATION OF THE STEEL STRUCTURE. THE CARBON MONOXIDE APPARENTLY WAS GENERATED BY THE OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH TORCH USED TO BURN OFF THE HATCH COVER. THE OXYGEN LEVELS DETECTED ARE BELIEVED TO BE SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN THSE ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE EMPLOYER LATER TRIED TO OXYGENATE THE SPACE USING THE OXYGEN LINES FROM THE OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH.