Inspection Detail

Inspection: 101916690 - Jendro Sanitation Services, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Iowa 0751910

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS HIRED MAY 28, 1985, AS A FULL TIME AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC. HE WAS 24 YEARS OLD. HIS DUTIES INVOLVED MAINTAINING GARBAGE TRUCKS. HE HAD RECEIVED NO FORMAL TRAINING. ON DECEMBER 15, 1985, AT ABOUT 2 PM, HE WAS REPAIRING THE AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM ON TRUCK #4, A 1975 FORD TRUCK, CHASSIS MODEL LN 900. THE TRUCK HAD A V-8, 477 CUBIC INCH ENGINE WHICH BURNED LIQUID PROPANE FUEL. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WORKING ON THE TRUCK INSIDE THE GARAGE. THE PREVIOUS MONTH THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS HAD WARNED ALL HIS EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WHEN WORKING INDOORS. HE HAD INSTRUCTED ALL EMPLOYEES TO KEEP THE LARGE TRUCK BAY DOORS OPEN WHEN RUNNING VEHICLE ENGINES INSIDE THE GARAGE. ON DECEMBER 15, 1985, AT 2:30 PM, A SECOND EMPLOYEE VISITED EMPLOYEE #1 INSIDE THE GARAGE. THE SECOND EMPLOYEE OBSERVED THE V-8 ENGINE OPERATING AND THE GARAGE DOORS CLOSED. ON DECEMBER 15, 1985, AT 3 PM, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS AGAIN ALONE INSIDE THE GARAGE. ON DECEMBER 15, 1985, AT 5:35 PM, THE OWNER FOUND EMPLOYEE #1 LYING ON THE GARAGE FLOOR, PARALLEL TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OF THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK'S ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE GARAGE DOORS CLOSED. THE CORONER LATER DETERMINED A CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN LEVEL OF 52% IN EMPLOYEE #1'S BLOOD. THE AUTOPSY, CONDUCTED ON DECEMBER 16, 1985, REVEALED A CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN LEVEL OF 48% AND AN OBSTRUCTION (ARTERIOSCLEROSIS) OF EMPLOYEE #1'S CORONARY ARTERIES.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR, VENTILATION, MECHANIC, CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN, CARBON MONOXIDE