Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300582194 - Frito-Lay, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Lubbock Area Office

Investigation Summary

On February 9, 2001, Employee #1, a maintenance employee, died from asphyxia when he fell into oil storage tank. He reported to his supervisor a replacement float for the potato hold over tank could not be ordered from the tank manufacturer because the tank was not manufactured with the float. Employee #1 looked inside the tank and saw the float had two holes in it, causing it not to rise and fall with the level of oil in the tank. The tank measured six feet in diameter, nine feet tall, and the bottom twelve inches ran to a point. Employee #1 informed his supervisor that the float could be removed. His supervisor told Employee #1 that the company would contract an outside company to retrieve the float, as it was in a company identified "permit-required confined space" and company policy that specifies that NO employee is allowed to enter a permit required confined space. Later in the evening, Employee #1 approached his supervisor with the float in hand. His supervisor asked Employee #1 how he managed to retrieve the defective float. Employee #1 stated not to worry about it and he had gotten the float out safely. Employee #1 showed his supervisor that the float only needed to have the holes welded and the float could be replaced. His supervisor instructed Employee #1 to wait until the following day before continuing with the project, as he wanted time to look into the situation. Sometime after his supervisor left the facility, Employee #1 took it upon himself to replace the float in the tank. At approximately 12:30 a.m., Employee #1 climbed a twelve foot step ladder and asked another mechanic to turn off the nitrogen and hold the weight on the outside of the tank so that the cables for the float would be at the top of the tank. Employee #1 then opened the hatch of the tank and stuck his head inside the tank. The tank hatch measured 15.125 inches by 12.25 inches. Somehow, Employee #1 fell inside the tank, which still had approximately two feet of oil still inside. The mechanic called for medical assistance immediately. The fire department responded within a few minutes and a fireman entered the tank, where Employee #1 was lifted out of the tank. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. at UMC Hospital.

Keywords: ASPHYXIATED, LUBRICATING FLUID, STORAGE TANK, FALL