Abstract: At approximately 9:15 a.m. on March 19, 1990, Employees #1 and #2, who were employed by an asbestos abatement contractor, were preparing to remove asbestos from a ceiling. Wearing full face respirators, the employees went into the contained area and hooked up to an air hose equipped with a new air board from a compressed air system. As soon as the employees began to wet down the ceiling, they noticed a smell similar to burned hydraulic fluid inside their masks. The employees became nauseated and Employee #1 lost consciousness. They unhooked the lines and left the area. Both employees were taken to the hospital and released. The physician's diagnosis was carbon monoxide poisoning. Witness statements indicated that the compressor was visibly overheating and the carbon monoxide indicator was peaked although the alarm did not activate until after the employees' distress.