One Entrant, Two “would-be rescuers” Fatal PRCS Incident (2017, Unknwn Cause of HAZ ATM, Tanker Truck)

At approximately 12:10 p.m. on January 21, 2014, Employee #1, Employee #2, a 36-year-old male, and a coworker, a 39-year-old male with a truck washing business, were engaged in cleaning out the interior of the tanker trailer. The equipment involved was a 6,500-gallon tanker trailer which was pulled in for interior cleaning. This tanker trailer was manufactured in May 1991. The cleaning process involved recycled water pumped from settling ponds on the property. Work was being conducted by two shifts, a day and evening shift. Each shift consisted of four workers and a supervisor. Employee #1 was working alone with no attendant. The supervisor pulled the tanker trailer in to the wash bay after it sat outside all night in sub-freezing temperatures.

The four-day shift workers were on morning break. The supervisor opened the man hatch located on top of the trailer and inserted the recycle water hose to start the initial rinse of the tanker. The supervisor opened the valves on the back of the tanker; they had frozen material in them. The supervisor then used a torch and hot water to remove the frozen materials. When the supervisor left the tanker trailer, water was flowing from the open, rear valves. When the workers returned to work, Employee #1 started to clean the tanker trailer.

Employee #1 entered the tanker from the top hatch, the only entrance large enough for a human to enter. A ladder was inserted and used to climb down into the tanker. The first rinse is completed with recycled water. Then cleaning was accomplished using hot water. Employee #1 was using the recycle water for the initial rinse. Employees #2 and #3 and one co-worker were cleaning on livestock trailers. Apparently, this Employer’s usual procedure to check on a worker inside a tanker trailer was to tap on the outside tank, and the worker inside the tank was to tap back. Someone tapped on the outside tank but no one tapped back. Employee #2 went onto the top of the tanker and looked down inside and saw Employee #1 lying on his back in the bottom of the trailer, with the ladder lying on top of him. Employee #2 yelled at Employee #1 but got no response. Employee #2 yelled at Employee #3 for him to get the supervisor and that Employee #1 was down inside the tanker.

Employee #2 waited until the supervisor arrived at the tanker before dropping down into tanker. Employee #2 first set ladder back up, then reached down to check on Employee #1 and passed out.

The Supervisor and a coworker were now on top of the tanker and saw both Employee #1 and Employee #2 passed out. The supervisor then enters tanker, pulls out his cell phone, starts to call 911 and passes out before completing call.

Now with three people unresponsive inside the tank, another coworker goes to an office and calls for Emergency Medical Services.

Five fire departments/EMS/ambulance, one hazardous materials response team, two air ambulances, county sheriff, and a county medical examiner investigator arrive at the scene. Employee #1 was killed in the event, Employees #2 and Employee #3 required hospitalization.

Factors that contributed to this incident included:

• the Employer had no permit required confined space entry program,
• the Employer did not test for a hazardous environment prior to entry, and
• the Employer had not conducted any effective training for confined space entry.
• the Employer also had no written employee safety or health programs.

Primarily, the company completed livestock trailer cleanout and sanitation. In two years prior to this fatality event, the company had started doing the washing of exterior and some interior of tanker trailers. At the time of writing this, it was not determined if an unknown chemical or lack of fresh air caused the death and two hospitalizations.

Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=200536381