Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 201573359 - Employee dies of carbon monoxide and glycolic acid exposure

Accident Summary Nr: 201573359 -- Report ID: 0830500 -- Event Date: 09/27/2007
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
310469895	09/28/2007	1522	236220	Gerald H. Phipps, Inc.

Abstract: On September 27, 2007, Employee #1 and a coworker were in a rectangular room, cleaning concrete from masonry. They were hand-spraying a glycolic acid product and then rinsing it off with a gasoline-powered power-washer. Employee #1 died cardiopulmonary arrest precipitated by inhalation of glycolic acid and carbon monoxide. The room had no cross-ventilation or exhaust ventilation. Employee #1's carboxyhemoglobin levels were used to calculate the carbon monoxide levels in the workplace, which were found to be at 199 ppm, on average, for the duration of exposure. The coroner ruled the death to be accidental.

Keywords: VENTILATION, PPE, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, INHALATION, CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN, CHEMICAL VAPOR, POISONING, CARBON MONOXIDE, CHEMICAL

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Other building		New project or new addition		$5,000,000 to $20,000,000	4		X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	310469895			Fatality	Other	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Interior masonry Fatality Cause: Asphyxiation/inhalation of toxic vapor

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