At 2:30 p.m., Employee #1, Employee #2, and Employee #3 were tasked with dismantling a scaffolding level within a containment dome (identified as PMDI A-3600). During their dismantling work, at approximately 80 feet above the ground, alarms specific to phosgene gas were triggered. The process within this Dome was the manufacturing and using phosgene to facilitate the production of PMDI (an isocyanate). The leak occurred when an employee of another contractor, working below the three scaffolding employees, removed a “slip blind” between a valve and a downstream section of pipe. The valve and subsequent piping were used to transport liquid phosgene. After the bolts connecting the valve and line were broken, the valve leaked phosgene, triggering the alarms.
The phosgene dosimeter badges worn by Employee #1, Employee #2, and Employee #3, provided by the facility, turned a color indicating exposure to between 50 to 100 ppm of phosgene. The facility transported these employees to the hospital, where they were treated for at least eighteen hours.
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 2 | 2 | |||
| Current Violations | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Initial Penalty | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $6,000 |
| Current Penalty | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Other | 19260021 B06 I | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $4,500 | $4,500 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 2. | 01002A | Serious | 19100134 C01 | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $1,500 | $1,500 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 3. | 01002B | Serious | 19100134 D02 II | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | Citation has been deleted. | |
| 4. | 01002C | Serious | 19100134 E05 I | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 5. | 01002D | Serious | 19100134 K01 VI | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 6. | 01002E | Serious | 19100134 K01 III | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement | ||
| 7. | 01002F | Serious | 19100134 K01 VII | 01/20/2011 | 02/22/2011 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
Source: https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=312924434