Inspection Detail
Inspection: 110311636 - All Waste Environmental
Inspection Information - Office: Houston South Area Office
Site Address:
All Waste Environmental
316 Georgia
Deer Park, TX 77001
Mailing Address:
, , 00000
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:4212
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Health
Close Conference: 09/13/1996
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 09/18/1996
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 361143944 |
Investigation Summary
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on April 2, 1996, Employee #1, a truck driver with Allwaste, arrived at the Empak site. After the 6:00 p.m. shift change, the supervisor saw the Allwaste truck sitting within the emulsified oil treatment system area and gave instructions to unload it. A coworker had Employee #1 back up the truck about 15 ft so he could use one hose to hook up to the piping and unload the flammable liquid into Tank T-4D, which was empty. The coworker hooked the hose to the back of the tank and attached a grounding clamp to the lip of the trailer that held the hoses. Employee #1 hooked up a hose from the pump to the top of the tank. Although an Empak pump was available, the coworker instructed Employee #1 to use the truck pump, a Fruitland RCF 500 counterclockwise top valve rotary vacuum pump for liquid wastes and oilfield tank trucks or trailers. This pump creates air pressure in the trailer tank and can only operate using power from the running truck engine. Since everything appeared to be going well, the coworker left Employee #1 at his truck and went to the truck pad to help the supervisor take and analyze samples from other trucks. The supervisor went to check the status of T-21 and T-22 for the unloading of another truck in the EOTS area. The supervisor stated that on his way back to the lab he saw Employee #1 leaning against the backside of the trailer next to the valve near the gauge. Employee #1 said everything was going fine and that the pump was still running. He did not indicate any problems while unloading, and the supervisor did not smell anything, which he normally does. A few seconds after the supervisor got back to the lab, at approximately 7:15 p.m., there was an explosion. When the supervisor turned around, he could see only flames. The explosion blew off the top dome lid (or scrubber) closest to the front of the trailer and the back-end manway of the trailer toward the bottom. The lid was blown up into the air and found about 300 ft away, close to Tank 535; the seal on the lid was not burned. The manway was blown into the firewall behind it. (The scrubber lid and manway were held in place by four dog-ear clamps, while all others were held in place by six dog-ear clamps.) The supervisor ran out of the lab and between the truck and the bin to get a better view. He saw Employee #1 lying on the ground between the bin for the Viscon and the supports for the stairs to the Viscon. Employee #1 was on fire and was yelling for help. Before the supervisor could reach Employee #1, flames started coming toward him and he left the area close to the truck. There then followed a second and a third explosion. Employee #1 burned to death. Employee #1 had been at his job for 2 years. Training included a 24-hour course for treatment, storage and disposal facilities, hazard communication, respirator training, lockout-tagout training, and fire training; the last three courses were given at the Houston Area Contractor Safety Council. He had also received DOT truck driver training.
Keywords: BURN, TANK TRUCK, FLAMMABLE LIQUID, WORK RULES, FIRE, EXPLOSION, OFF LOADING, PUMP, TRUCK DRIVER
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 110311636 | Fatality | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Truck drivers, heavy |
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