TranslateInspection Detail
Inspection Information - Office: South Carolina Priv | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nr: 120459581 | Report ID: 0454510 | Open Date: 03/18/1993 | ||
| Automotive Switch Co. | ||||
| 1561 Columbia Hwy. Aiken, SC 29801 | Union Status: NonUnion | |||
| SIC: 3494/Valves and Pipe Fittings, Not Elsewhere Classified | ||||
| Mailing: 8000 W. Florissant Ave., St. Louis, MO 63136 | ||||
| Inspection Type: | Accident | |||
| Scope: | Partial | Advanced Notice: | N | |
| Ownership: | Private | |||
| Safety/Health: | Health | Close Conference: | 03/23/1993 | |
| Planning Guide: | Health-Manufacturing | Close Case: | 07/15/1994 | |
| Related Activity: | Type | ID | Safety | Health |
| Accident | 360497762 | |||
Violation Summary | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Current Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $3,375 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,375 |
| Current Penalty | $750 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $750 |
| FTA Amount | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Violation Items | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | ID | Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | Fta$ | Contest | LastEvent | |
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 19101030 C01 I | 05/13/1993 | 06/02/1993 | $750 | $1,875 | $0 | 05/24/1993 | F - Formal Settlement | |
| Deleted | 2. | 01002 | Serious | 19101200 E02 | 05/13/1993 | 05/18/1993 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $0 | 05/24/1993 | D - Govt Dismissed |
Accident Investigation Summary | ||||||
| Summary Nr: 675231 | Event: 03/18/1993 | Employees Overcome By Chemical Vapor | ||||
| At approximately 7:30 a.m. on March 18, 1993, an on-site contractor that was building an addition to the prime site began applying concrete sealant containing trimethylbenzene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and mineral spirits to a final 4 ft by 150 ft strip of concrete floor. The permanent wall between the plant stockroom and the new addition had been removed and a plastic enclosure had been constructed to contain dust in the new work area. At approximately 8:00, a supervisor from the plant complained to the contractor about smelling fumes in the plant. Exhaust fans were placed near the roll-up doors to draw the fumes outdoors. At approximately 8:45, Employee #3, who was working in the stockroom, became ill and went to the breakroom, where she was treated by EMTs. Employees then began to evacuate the building. Employees #1, #2, and #3 were hospitalized and 26 employees were treated for nausea, headaches, and dizziness. Employees #1, #2, and #3 were all recovering from respiratory illnesses, and according to the MSDS, the chemicals in the sealant were known to aggravate pre-existing respiratory health problems. The contractor had not made a copy of the MSDS available to the prime site to adequately protect their employees. It was observed that there was a strong negative pressure in the plant and fumes were pulled directly into the stockroom through holes in the plastic; however, levels of exposure could not be measured as the inspection took place after the plant had been evacuated and ventilated. | ||||||
| Keywords: exhaust system, respiratory, work rules, xylene, inhalation, toxic fumes, concrete, ventilation, chemical vapor | ||||||
| Inspection | Degree | Nature | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 120459581 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Supervisors, production occupations | ||
| 2 | 120459581 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Precision assemblers, metal | ||
| 3 | 120459581 | Hospitalized injury | Other | Precision assemblers, metal | ||