Translate
Inspection Detail
Inspection: 106614860 - Houston Industrial Labor
Inspection Information - Office: Houston North Area Office
Site Address:
Houston Industrial Labor
159 Levee Road
Texas City, TX 77590
Mailing Address:
431 Texas Avenue, Texas City, TX 77590
Union Status: NonUnion
SIC:7363
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Unprog Rel
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Health
Close Conference: 03/07/1990
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 10/12/1990
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Current Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 |
| Current Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 19101200 E01 | 03/15/1990 | 04/18/1990 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 | 04/13/1990 | D - Govt Dismissed | Citation has been deleted. |
| 2. | 02001 | Other | 19040008 | 03/15/1990 | 03/18/1990 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 04/13/1990 | - |
Investigation Summary
The supervisor for the night crew at Houston Industrial Services wanted more workers to help speed up a tank cleaning job. The company had depleted the local supplier's stock of appropriate respirators. Additional respirators were ordered from the Houston location. Because it was the weekend and after hours, the order was made through an on-call person. After confirmation with the on-site supervisor, the order was shipped to the work site. Upon arrival, the respirators were issued to the employees and they entered the tank to commence the cleanup. After approximately two hours, around 2:30 a.m., Employees #1 through #13 began to get sick. One employee suffered a seizure. EMTs were called but all employees refused treatment. The work site was closed down and all employees were sent home. Between 5:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., employees arrived at Dansforth Hospital in Texas City, TX, for treatment. Thirteen employees were treated: eleven were admitted, and two were released. It was determined by the CPSI supervisor that the respirators issued to the night crew were high efficiency filters instead of organic vapor cartridges. According to CPSI, the tank contained wash water that had been used to clean a barge containing #6 oil. Analysis of the sludge found it contained benzene, toluene, styrene, and xylene as major components.
Keywords: BENZENE, XYLENE, CLEANING, TOXIC ATMOSPHERE, TOXIC FUMES, TANK, WORK RULES, OVEREXPOSURE, RESPIRATOR, CONFINED SPACE
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 106614860 | Occupation Not Listed |