Accident: 510404 - Hospitalized After Exposure To Chlorine Gas

Employee #1, age 15, was engaged in routine cleaning when he noticed the sink drain was plugged. The drain contained bleach and potentially other products. Employee #1 poured in drain cleaner containing sulfuric acid, which reacted with the bleach and released chlorine gas. He was overcome by the fumes and was hospitalized for one week. The employer was cited for numerous violations, including lack of a safety committee and hazard communications.

cleaning, bleach, clogged, sulfuric acid, chemical reaction, chlorine, inhalation, work rules, communication, cleaning fluid

Accident: 170886857 - Overcome By Chemical Vapors

Employee #1 could not find the container into which he usually poured soap at the end of the milking shift. He instead grabbed another container--a bleach bottle that smelled as though there had been bleach in it. As he poured the soap into the bleach bottle, the two chemicals started to react . Employee #1 was overcome by the vapors and experienced difficulty breathing.

agriculture, chemical reaction, chemical vapor, bleach, inhalation, poisoning, toxic fumes, respiratory, work rules, overexposure

Accident: 170621312 - Two Suffer From Exposure To Gas Or Particulates

On February 7, 1996, Employees #1 and #2 were performing routine maintenance work at Forest Meadows, a private residential development with no industrial or business sites. Employee #1 entered a manhole while Employee #2 stayed on top, watching and handing Employee #1 tools and materials. Prior to entry, the air in the manhole was tested with an Exotox monitor for oxygen, LEL, and hydrogen sulfide. A truck-mounted pressure sprayer was used to clean the interior of the manhole with water to which a small amount of bleach had been added. The estimated concentration of bleach was 27 ppm. No ventilator was used, and the work was completed without incident. No unusual smells or physical symptoms were noted during the work day. At approximately 2:00 a.m. on February 8, 1996, eight or nine hours after finishing work, Employee #1 experienced difficulty breathing and went to a local hospital. He was later diagnosed with bronchial tube damage. On February 13, 1996, Employee #2 sought medical care at Sonora Community Emergency. Both employees received worker's compensation benefits from CAL COMP.

cleaning, manhole, lung, overexposure, chemical, bleach, work rules, respiratory, vapor

Accident: 170804512 - Nine Injured After Inhaling Chemicals

Around noon on April 20, 1994, nine employees from the housekeeping and laundry departments were exposed to chemical vapors after a maintenance employee mixed two laundry chemicals together while changing and filling up buckets for a washing machine in the laundry room. According to the bucket labels, one chemical was laundry bleach and the other was emulsifier. The mixture resulted in chemical fumes coming from the bucket. Employees who stayed in the laundry room, or who walked into the laundry room from the adjacent lunchroom or the hallway, were exposed to the vapors. Employees #1 through #9 experienced headaches, nausea, and vomiting and were taken to different hospitals for periods ranging from one to five hours. No one stayed overnight, was administered oxygen, or received treatment.

toxic fumes, headache, nausea, bleach, chemical reaction, chemical vapor, inhalation, cleaning, work rules, inattention

Accident: 170708770 - Eyes Splashed By Bleach

At approximately 7:50 p.m. on December 11, 1994, Employee #1 was using Clorox bleach to clean the sink area. The bleach was stored in gallon bottles on the floor, beneath a shelf. The shelf was low, so in order to remove a bottle, Employee #1 had to tip it toward her. The bottle's cap was loose, and as she pulled the bottle the cap fell off, splashing bleach in her eyes. She was taken to the hospital, where she was treated and released after approximately one hour; she sustained no serious injuries. Employee #1 was not using eye protection, and there was no approved eye wash on the job site.

bleach, eye, chemical, work rules, caustic, ppe, cleaning fluid, unsecured, cleaning