Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305416109 - Maurico Melvin Ortiz

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On August 18, 2004, the owner and Employee #1 of Old Master Painters, Co. were working in the basement of a private residence. They had a verbal contract with the homeowner to strip the paint from the floor of a basement room approximately 11 ft by 11 ft. At 11:00 a.m., they began the work. The owner used a chemical (the employee did not know what it was because he only works part-time) on the floor to remove the old paint and then a thinner to speed up the process. This appeared to work, so they decided to take a lunch break and allow the chemical to do its work. After lunch, Mr. Ortiz went to a store to purchase more chemical stripper and thinner. They went back into the basement at approximately 3:15 p.m. to finish the work. They applied a layer of the stripper on the floor and then put about a gallon of thinner on top of it. They saw the paint beginning to fish scale. They decided to let the chemical work and began to leave the basement. The owner was the first up the stairway. He saw a flame come out of nowhere, heard a whoosh, and felt intense heat. He heard Employee #1 scream and could not get back down the steps, so he ran for help. When he got back with help, they knocked out the basement windows and tried to put out the fire with a garden hose. Emergency medical personnel were summoned. Employee #1 was found on the stairway and pronounced dead by the Medical Examiner. He had burns to 99 percent of his body. The Montgomery County Fire Inspector has determined that the most likely cause of the accident was the cycling on of the dehumidifier at a time when the quantity of flammable vapors was between the upper and lower explosive limits, resulting in a flash fire.

Keywords: BURN, FLAMMABLE LIQUID, FIRE, PAINTER