Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300837101 - Peninsula Janitorial

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

On January 31, 2002, Employee #1 was working in the chemical synthesis room performing janitorial duties when she was placing the paper towels in towel dispensers, she was splashed in the face by a small amount of liquid. The towel dispenser was located directly above a sink and directly below a drying rack. Employee #1 was wearing a laboratory coat but no safety glasses or goggles. Employee #1 started feeling a burning sensation on her face. Employee #1 entered a hallway and began to cry. Several coworkers were alerted by her crying and began assisting Employee #1. Employee #1 did not speak English, so it was difficult to determine why she was crying. Employee #1 was taken to an eyewash station located in an adjacent laboratory where her face was held down in streams of running water. Emergency staff was called, and Employee #1 was taken to the hospital. One of the employees explained that the liquid which splashed onto the face of Employee #1 was trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a corrosive compound. He also described the process of bulk to small container transfer of TFA which requires the use of tubing. It was assumed that the tubing contained a residual amount of TFA at the time of the accident. The transfer process was only performed once prior to this incident. There is no existing written procedures existed for transferring of TFA from bulk to small containers. An ensuing interview conducted with another employee revealed that the tubing used for the transfer was left in a plastic tray located in a laboratory hood. The employee also stated that after the transfer of TFA, the hood where the tubing was stored was cleaned, which possibly accounted for the placement of the tubing used in the transfer of TFA on the drying rack. It is not known how the tubing was placed on the drying rack from its original position in the plastic tray located in the laboratory hood. There is no written policy for the use and/or disposal of tubing after its use.

Keywords: BURN, EYE, JANITOR, CLEANING, CORROSIVE, CHEMICAL BURN, FACE, CHEMICAL