Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125999391 - Amerifloor Technical

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

Three employees of a polymeric floor coating application contractor were seriously burned while using an electric floor buffer. The employees were using a methyl ethyl ketone solvent to strip an uncured floor when the vapors from the solvent ignited from a spark from the floor buffer. All three employees were working inside a small bathroom, approximately 1,000 cubic ft, when the fire occurred. Employee #1 was operating a floor buffer with brush attachment. The buffer was a Waxie Model 17, a 17-in. electric floor buffer with a 1-horse power, 120-volt electrical motor. The motor was an induction motor, but started with a centrifugal switch that is capable of sparking. Employee #1 was operating the floor buffer, while Employee #2 and Employee #3 poured the solvent onto the floor and then wiped behind the buffer with rags. Employee #1 suffered severe second-and-third-degree burns to 20 percent of his body. Employees #2 and #3 suffered similar injuries over a smaller percent of their body. The accident occurred at a customer's premises, during working hours. The fire caused significant damage to the bathroom, detaching a locked door and separating it from the door frame. The three employees were wearing half-mask respirators with an inappropriate cartridge, short-sleeve shirts, latex exam gloves and the only source of ventilation was from a ceiling fan rated at 6 to 9 air changes per hour. The employer had no safety plan for performing the floor stripping operation and did not bring portable ventilation to the site. When the employee's eyes became irritated, they donned swimming goggles purchased from a sporting goods store in the vicinity and continued to work until the fire occurred.

Keywords: BURN, MEK, VAPOR, VENTILATION, PPE, FIRE, SPARK