At 5:15 p.m. on June 12, 2017, four employees were located downstairs beneath th e Express Lube bay in a concrete 30 foot x 30 foot workspace. They were using a cleaning agent (possibly ZEP) on the floor and then a gasoline powered pressure washer to clean the pit floor. The pressure washer was positioned up top on the main service bay floor on a small trailer along with a 750 gallon reservoir of w ater. The truck that was pulling the trailer was parked over the inside (quick l ube) lane. Video indicates the employees went down the stairwell at different in tervals, but had been downstairs between 1 to 5 minutes total. In the 30 foot by 30 foot room were two fully guarded step up catwalks. Tasks included draining o il, replacing the oil filter, operating a hydraulic automotive lift system (cont rols located downstairs in the pit) and cleaning brakes or the insides of tire r ims from underneath using a Wurth brake & parts cleaner. During work, the 55 gal lon drum of the Wurth cleaner was closed using a rag. While all four employees w ere downstairs, a flash fire occurred, resulting in the death of three of the em ployees and hospitalization of one. The incident investigation revealed that a b uilt-in air ventilation system located on the far left corner wall closest to th e bottom of the stairs was found in the off position. A badly burnt electric Hes saire Model MC37A Evaporative Cooler was located on the opposite wall, siting on a metal stand. The MC37A was plugged in as were multiple other power cords to a 3 in 1 extension (not an RPT). Further, the Wurth Cleaner, with its drum sealed with a shop rag, caused the buildup of a highly flammable liquid and vapor. Thi s accumulation and introduction of an ignition source resulted in a flash fire.
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