Inspection Detail

Inspection: 106901465 - Coit Drapery & Carpet Cleaners Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Syracuse Area Office

Investigation Summary

On April 7, 2000, Employee #1 was sent to bring his cleaning van to a coworker whose van had started to leak gasoline. On arriving at the site, he determined that the coworker's van was no longer leaking gasoline and decided it was safe to drive it back to Syracuse, NY. He told his boss what he was going to do and he was advised to stay off the Thruway in case the van broke down again and needed to be towed. Employee #1 was driving the van when it burst into flames. He suffered burns over his entire body and was hospitalized until his death on May 8, 2000. While leaking gasoline caused the fire, the source of ignition is not known. There is no evidence that the employer was aware of the hazard. The employer knew about the fuel leak but had relied on Employee #1, who indicated he had some knowledge of automobile repair, to evaluate the hazard. The vans were regularly maintained, and the van that burned had been in the garage the day before for installation of a new water pump.

Keywords: BURN, LEAK, VEHICLE, FLAMMABLE LIQUID, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, FIRE, DRIVER, GASOLINE, MOTOR VEHICLE