Accident: 170234512 - Two Suffer From Carbon Monoxide Exposure

On August 17, 1999, Employees #1 and #2 were using a propane-fueled forklift to caulk cracks in a controlled-atmosphere fruit storage room. The lift was equipped with a manlift platform to access the ceiling. Employees #1 and #2 experienced symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust fumes.

carbon monoxide, inhalation, exhaust fumes, ind trk operator, chemical vapor, poisoning, air contamination, industrial truck, overexposure, storage room

Accident: 125804799 - Suffer From Exposure To Carbon Monoxide

On March 3, 1999, Employees #1 through #13 and coworkers, including cashiers, stock clerks, and a meat cutter, arrived for work at a grocery store in Lodi, CA. A contractor had been operating a power buffer that morning before the store opened. The power buffer was propane-powered, but the contractor had been using a canister of liquid propane instead of a canister of propane gas. As a result, an excessive amount of carbon monoxide had built up throughout the store. Employees began to experience symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headache, weakness, and chest tightness. The Lodi Fire Department was called and it measured a carbon monoxide level of 160 ppm upon entering the store. The store was evacuated and Employees #1 through #13 were sent to the hospital for evaluation, then released. Factors contributing to the incident included failure of the store to monitor the air for carbon monoxide; improper use of the power buffer by the contractor; and lack of knowledge on the part of the employer of the symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure. The employer was cited for 1) failure to inspect the power buffer, even though it was a new piece of equipment brought to the work site; 2) failure to conduct carbon monoxide measurements when employees exhibited symptoms of overexposure; and 3) a missing cover plate/circuit breaker on an electrical panel.

Accident: 170234603 - Suffers From Exposure To Carbon Monoxide

Employee #1 and a coworker were moving fruit in a cold storage facility when they were exposed to carbon monoxide from propane-fueled lifts. Both workers exhibited symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

carbon monoxide, exhaust fumes, industrial truck, storage room, poisoning, inhalation, chemical vapor, vapor, agriculture, air contamination

Accident: 658385 - Three Suffer From Exposure To Carbon Monoxide

Employees #1 through #3 were hospitalized following their exposure to carbon monoxide. The employer had installed a new roof and, some time during the Spring, had enclosed all non-functional openings. The ventilation in the building created a negative pressure that prevented the combustion gases from escaping through the flue.

carbon monoxide, poisoning, inhalation, ventilation, gas, chemical vapor, overexposure, air contamination, vapor

Accident: 170080477 - Five Suffer Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Employees #1 through #5, all kitchen workers, were exposed to carbon monoxide and suffered symptoms of poisoning. All five were hospitalized.

carbon monoxide, gas, inhalation, chemical vapor, air contamination, poisoning, vapor, ventilation, overexposure