Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315458828 - Superior Ready Mix Concrete Lp

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys Mining & Tunneling District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 4:30 a.m. on October 12, 2011, Employee #1, a truck driver, delivered a load of hot paving asphalt at a temperature of approximately 325 degrees Fahrenheit, twice per day. It was pumped out of a tanker trailer into storage tanks. The truck used to bring the hot asphalt to the plant was a Peterbilt Model Number 379, and License Plate Number 9E62537 (Employer Equipment Number 8139), pulling an insulated 7,000-gal tanker trailer (Employer Equipment Number 9111). The tank was equipped with an internal ball valve that sat at the bottom of the tank and was opened and shut from the top of the trailer. Below the ball valve, underneath the trailer, was a 4-inch diameter vertical pipe that teed off to both sides of the trailer. Each side had a gate valve operated by a wheel. After the gate valve, the outlet pipes narrowed to 3 inches. On the end of each outlet pipe was a metal cap held in place by two cam latches. With the cap off and both valves open, the asphalt could be pumped through a hose into holding tanks. On the previous morning, Employee #1 forgot to close the bottom gate valve. When he returned with a load of asphalt, he put on his PPE, which included coveralls, 12-inch rubber gloves, safety glasses, and a hard hat with a wire screen face shield. He went on top of the truck first and opened the internal ball valve. He came down and without checking the lower gate valve, which he had left open the day before, he took off the cap on the outlet pipe. He was sprayed on his left arm and chest with the hot asphalt. It splashed up underneath his face shield, and ran down into both gloves. He was taken to a nearby hospital, evaluated, and sent via ambulance to UCSD Burn Center. He suffered serious burns to both wrists and a third of his face. He was admitted, had skin grafts on both wrists on October 17, 2011, and was released from the hospital on October 22, 2011.

Keywords: BURN, CHEST, TANK TRUCK, PPE, GLOVE, VALVE, ARM, ASPHALT, TRUCK DRIVER, WRIST