TranslateInspection Detail
Inspection: 113516066 - Polymer Latex Inc.
Inspection Information - Office: Springfield
Site Address:
Polymer Latex Inc.
119 Authority Drive
Fitchburg, MA 01420
Mailing Address:
83 Authority Drive, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:2821
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Health
Close Conference: 09/17/1998
Emphasis:
Close Case:03/10/1999
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 100690023 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Current Violations | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Initial Penalty | $4,125 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,125 |
| Current Penalty | $4,125 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,125 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 19100119 E05 | 10/01/1998 | 01/02/1999 | $1,125 | $1,125 | $0 | - | ||
| 2. | 01002 | Serious | 19100119 E07 | 10/01/1998 | 03/02/1999 | $1,125 | $1,125 | $0 | P - Petition to Mod Abatement | ||
| 3. | 01003 | Serious | 19100119 L02 II | 10/01/1998 | 11/18/1998 | $1,875 | $1,875 | $0 | - | ||
| 4. | 02001 | Other | 19100134 B11 | 10/01/1998 | 10/06/1998 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - |
Investigation Summary
On June 29, 1998, Employee #1, at Polymer Latex, Inc., in Fitchburg, MA, was performing a drumming operation, in which a waste solution of itaconic acid, sodium nitrite, and methanol in water was transferred from a pre-emulsion tank into polyethylene-lined fiber drums to be shipped out as hazardous waste. Employee #1 was unaware that the itaconic acid had reacted with the sodium nitrite in solution to form nitrous acid. Nitrous acid further reacted to form nitric acid in solution and nitric oxide, which was released to the atmosphere in the reactor room when he drummed off the waste solution. Employees #1 through #6 and two coworkers suffered from exposure to NOX (the common name given to a combination of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) and were transported to the hospital. Employees #1 through #6 were treated for excessive methemoglobin in the blood, an adverse effect of exposure to NOX, and were released later that morning. Employee #1 was not expecting any toxic gas to develop, so no local exhaust ventilation was utilized, nor was the drumming performed in an enclosed system.
Keywords:vapor, ventilation, ppe, work rules, inhalation, air contamination, chemical reaction, nitric acid, chemical
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree | Nature | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 113516066 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Occupation not reported | ||
| 2 | 113516066 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Occupation not reported | ||
| 3 | 113516066 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Occupation not reported | ||
| 4 | 113516066 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Occupation not reported | ||
| 5 | 113516066 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Occupation not reported | ||
| 6 | 113516066 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Occupation not reported |