Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302105366 - Reynolds Nationwide, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Corpus Christi Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, of Reynolds Nationwide, Inc., was cleaning the inside of tanker trailer #T-105, a 7,000 gallon long-haul trailer that, due to its short length, was not permitted to be pulled over the bridges of the United States highway system. Tanker trailer #T-105 was only used to off-load alpha-pinene 99.2 from rail cars in Laredo, TX, cross the border into Mexico, and then travel for two hours to a point in Mexico for delivery. The empty unit would then return to the Reynolds Nationwide location in Laredo. Employee #1 was cleaning the inside of the tanker when he became overcome by fumes from alpha-pinene 99.2. He was killed. The employer had not evaluated the equipment and the workplace to see if they had any permit-required confined spaces where employees would be required to work. The employer had provided an Enmet combustible toxic gas/oxygen analyzer, but had not required that the readings from it be kept and entered on confined space entry permits. The employer had blank confined space entry permits, but did not require that they be posted at the entrance to the confined space and completed by employees prior to entry. The employer provided an MSA full-face gas mask and a half-mask two-cartridge respirator, but had not trained employees on their proper uses. The employer had not provided physical examinations to employees who were required to wear respirators to ensure that they were able to perform their work while wearing the apparatus. The employer did not have a written hazard communication program; it did not have a material safety data sheet on alpha pinene 99.2, nor had it trained the employees on the this chemical.

Keywords: TANK TRUCK, CONFINED SPACE, PPE, WORK RULES, CLEANING, INHALATION, CHEMICAL VAPOR, OVEREXPOSURE, UNTRAINED, RESPIRATOR