Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309903888 - Hj Baker And Bro Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

On August 31, 2006, Employee #1, a regular employee of a molten sulfur processing and exporting facility, was performing his job duties. The company took in molten sulfur (a byproduct of the oil refining process), injected water into it, and then converted it into dry spherical sulfur powder. Dry sulfur was then conveyed into a huge barn, where it was stored, before it was shipped out. Sulfur was shipped out in containers, as well as in top loading bulk carriers for ocean vessels. In loading 40-foot containers, a loader picked up a bucket of sulfur powder and dumped it into a hopper, which then emptied into an inclined conveyor. The other end of the conveyor was inserted into the container, and as the sulfur was dumped inside, a truck was slowly driven out. Approximately once a month, a top-loading container for ocean vessels was loaded. In those instances, the hopper was moved out of the way and a top loading truck was moved into its place. The truck was loaded using the loader. On August 31, 2006, employees were loading a top loading carrier for an ocean vessel. The loading was completed in the early afternoon and the employees moved the hopper back into its normal location. Because there were containers waiting to be loaded, the employees then prepared to operate the hopper and the conveyor. The motor of the conveyor, which was located on one end, was hooked up to an electrical box welded on to the frame of the hopper. The electrical box was then connected, via a long flexible cable, to a plug located on the wall of the barn. On that particular day, when the hopper was returned to the loading area, the employees had pushed it very close to the wall of the barn, so that there was only 12 inches of space between the electrical box and the wall of the barn. As employees were preparing to operate the conveyor for container loading, the assistant plant manager noticed that there was no power and told Employee # 1, the plant manager. Employee #1 told the assistant plant manager to check the main panel and see if the switch was turned on. After being told that there was power on the main panel, Employee #1 told the assistant plant manager that he knew what was wrong with it, indicating that "they had lost a leg." At approximately 3:55 p.m., Employee #1 squeezed himself into the 12-inch space between the metal siding of the building and the frame of the hopper to access the open, 480-volt electrical box. When the assistant plant manager glanced at Employee #1, he noticed that his head was turned upward and that his mouth was opened. Sensing something was wrong, the assistant plant manager called for help, turned off the power, pulled Employee #1 out, and called for an ambulance. The Coroner's report indicated that Employee #1 died from electrocution.

Keywords: ELECTROCUTED, ELECTRIC SHOCK, ELECTRICAL BOX, METAL SIDING, HOPPER