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Inspection Detail
Inspection: 310092424 - Romic Environmental Technologies
Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office
Site Address:
Romic Environmental Technologies
2081 Bay Road
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Mailing Address:
, , 00000
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:4953
NAICS: 562211/Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 12/05/2007
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 03/03/2008
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 101129955 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Current Violations | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,120 | $0 | $1,120 |
| Current Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,120 | $0 | $1,120 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Other | 5560 A | 12/06/2007 | 12/11/2007 | $420 | $420 | $0 | - | ||
| 2. | 01002 | Other | 5189 F01 C | 12/06/2007 | 12/11/2007 | $420 | $420 | $0 | - | ||
| 3. | 01003 | Other | 5189 G04 | 12/06/2007 | 12/11/2007 | $280 | $280 | $0 | - |
Investigation Summary
On August 1, 2007, Employee #1 was working as a Sampler for Romic Environmental Technologies in East Palo Alto. He was opening sealed 55-gallon metal drums containing flammable liquid which had been received in a batch of 12 metal drums on July 26, 2007. The drums had to be sampled to verify whether the waste received was consistent with information on the manifest and the waste profile the facility kept on its records. The Drum Sampling Area was located adjacent to the North Drum Storage Area, which was designated for storage of waste solvents and organic wastes. An air hose was available to be used with an impact wrench (Craftsman, Model Number 875-188992). The pneumatic impact wrench (air gun) was equipped with an attachment to open the bung on the drum and weighed approximately 7 pounds. At approximately 8:30 a.m., Employee #1 had lined up all the 12 drums and put sampling jars on top of each drum, while the Production Manager and several other workers were standing nearby, chatting. Employee #1 was wearing his full-facepiece respirator, gloves, rubber apron and Tyvek over his long sleeve uniform and long sleeve T-shirt. After opening four or five drums using the air gun, he attempted to open the next drum, which did not show any indication of bulging or deformity. As soon as the air gun hit the bung, the drum burst open in flames. The accident was most likely caused by the mechanical sparks created from the impact of the air gun with the drum bung, which ignited the flammable vapors released from the drum. The exploding drum hit Employee #1 in the stomach area and engulfed him in flames. His clothes caught on fire. Employee #1 started running up the aisle, where he was spotted by the Production Manager, who rolled him down on the ground to put out the flames on his clothes. Another employee sprayed him with a Class D fire extinguisher. Employee #1 was taken to Stanford Medical Center Emergency Room by paramedics, where he was treated for first- and second-degree burns on his right ear.
Keywords: BURN, VAPOR, FLAMMABLE LIQUID, PPE, GLOVE, DRUM, FIRE, EAR, EXPLOSION, RESPIRATOR
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 310092424 | Hospitalized injury | Burn(Chemical) | Welders and cutters |