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Inspection Detail
Inspection: 107094989 - E. I. Dupont De Nemours & Co., Inc.
Inspection Information - Office: Jackson Area Office
Site Address:
E. I. Dupont De Nemours & Co., Inc.
7685 Kiln-Delisle Road
Pass Christian, MS 39571
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 430, Pass Christian, MS 39571
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:2816
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Health
Close Conference: 09/05/1996
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 11/21/1996
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 101360105 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Current Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,500 | $0 | $4,500 |
| Current Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,500 | $0 | $4,500 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Other | 19040008 | 11/04/1996 | 11/07/1996 | $4,500 | $4,500 | $0 | - |
Investigation Summary
At approximately 5:30 p.m. on August 30, 1996, Employees #1 through #3 were working on a purification and conditioning tank with a capacity of about 11,480 gallons. It contained titanium tetrachloride, which is a sludge the consistency of a milkshake (20 percent solids), that reacts with moisture in the air to form a toxic vapor cloud. The employer had been having a problem with pressure buildup in the tank for the last 4 or 5 days and had taken the tank off production the day before the accident, but the source of the problem had not been found. The tank was supposed to have been drained, had a vacuum placed on it, and then been checked by a stick test, in which a 20 foot metal rod or piece of PVC pipe is lowered to the bottom of the tank and checked for residual liquid. The stick test had been checked off on the lockout/tagout sheet, but the workers performing the LO/TO did not actually do the test. The system was checked by the production and the maintenance supervisors and, unaware that the stick test had not been performed, they approved entering the system. The maintenance employees locked the system, put on acid suits and air line respirators, and opened the manways. When they removed the seventh and final manway, they saw that a crust of titanium tetrachloride covered the manway about halfway; because they could only see the sides of the tank, the maintenance workers still thought it was empty. As directed by their supervisor, they broke the oxidized titanium tetrachloride covering the manway with a tool, and approximately 100 gallons of sludge poured out of the tank. Employees #1 through #3, who were standing outside the restricted area, were overcome by toxic vapors. The employees who broke into the tank were not injured. The tank had approximately 500 gallons of titanium tetrachloride remaining in it.
Keywords: MAINTENANCE, WORK RULES, INHALATION, CHEMICAL VAPOR, TOXIC FUMES, OVEREXPOSURE, TANK, ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE, SLUDGE
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 107094989 | Hospitalized injury | Asphyxia | Separating, filtering & clarifying mach. operators | ||
| 2 | 107094989 | Hospitalized injury | Asphyxia | Separating, filtering & clarifying mach. operators | ||
| 3 | 107094989 | Hospitalized injury | Asphyxia | Separating, filtering & clarifying mach. operators |