Inspection Detail

Inspection: 103245486 - Springfield Metropolitan Housing Authority

Inspection Information - Office: Cincinnati Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employees #1 and #2 were removing floor tile in a small, unventilated two bedroom apartment with regular gasoline, which was in a 5-gallon can, to make the job easier. Employee #1 was in a back bedroom and Employee #2 was in a small hallway that leads to the back bedroom. When the furnace in the apartment came on due to normal cycling of the thermostat, it ignited the gasoline vapors and caused a low-level explosion or flash fire that engulfed the hallway and back bedroom in flames. Both the employees' clothes were set on fire. Employee #2 was able to escape. Employee #1, however, was trapped by the flames in the back bedroom. He died. Fire damage to the apartment was minimal because the fire was mainly burning fumes.

Keywords: VENTILATION, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, WORK RULES, FIRE, EXPLOSION, GASOLINE