Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119993160 - Sea Trec Enterprises Inc

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:15 a.m. on December 4, 1993, Employees #1 and #2, a painter and his helper, were critically burned in an explosion while the painter was painting inside a poorly ventilated void on a newly refurbished naval landing craft. They were taken to the UCSD burn center. The fire pattern indicates that the blaze started inside the #5 void, which measured approximately 5 feet high by 6 feet long by 10 feet wide. Each of the 7 voids were interconnected to the engine room by circular ports about 18 inches in diameter. Employee #2 was tending lines at the entrance and Employee #1 was spray painting inside the voids with unbonded and ungrounded equipment and devices for more than an hour when the explosion occurred. The use of unapproved and non-intrinsically safe equipment and devices (i.e., spray gun, paint pot, extension light, and flashlight) inside a confined and poorly-ventilated space filled with toxic and flammable vapors inadvertently sparked the blaze and seriously burned Employees #1 and #2. The employer was found in violation of several T8CCR. Citations and penalties were issued.

Keywords: FLAMMABLE VAPORS, WORK RULES, EXPLOSION, PROCESS SAFETY, TOXIC FUMES, BURN, VENTILATION, CONFINED SPACE, FIRE, PAINT