Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119668432 - Gannett Outdoor Of Northern California

Inspection Information - Office: Oakland District Office

Investigation Summary

On October 10, 1995, Employee #1, a laborer, was rolling out vinyl before taking it to a field. He noticed that it was dirty and was instructed to use Soil-Solv, a concentrated all-purpose cleaner, to clean it. Soil-Solv contains ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 60-100%, CAS no. 111-76-2, which is characterized as a caustic alkali liquid with a pH of 12.5. As Employee #1 was pumping the soap from a 50-gallon container into a smaller container, the pump handle malfunctioned due to a corroded metal part and soap squirted into his eye. Employee #1 dropped the smaller container and the soap in the container splashed onto him. He made his way to a nearby women's restroom and washed his eye with water. Employee #1 then went to the office for help. A coworker drove him to Spectrum Medical Care, where a doctor diagnosed him as suffering chemical burns of both corneas and referred him to another doctor at Alta Bates, who authorized the employee to return to work on October 12, 1995. However, Employee #1 did not return to work because he was still concerned about his eyes. He returned to work on October 17, 1995, but still continued to be concerned. The employer's insurance carrier, Traveler's, referred Employee #1 to a doctor who restricted the employee's work activity for that day only because his eyes had been dilated. Employee #1 is currently back to work full time. Employee #1 states that he had never watched anyone use the container, and was never specifically trained about the soap's health hazards. Neither goggles nor face shield were available for employee use.

Keywords: BURN, EYE, CAUSTIC, PPE, ETHYLENE GLYCOL, WORK RULES, CLEANING, CHEMICAL BURN, UNTRAINED, MECH MALFUNCTION