Two people died after being exposed to toxic fumes. An Ohio worker was cleaning a chemical tanker trailer when it collapsed while entering the tank. A nearby truck-driver came to help, both facing the fatal consequences. In Illinois, a worker opened a lid of a tanker trailer containing toluene and was soon found unresponsive lying across the open dome. He survived after being rushed to the nearest hospital and survived after being treated for respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.
The double fatality and serious injury are among the 23 worker deaths and 97 incidents that OSHA’s Chicago region investigated in transportation and tank cleaning industries since 2016. OSHA found common violations while investigating. The most common was failure to prevent the inhalation of harmful substances and to follow procedures for permit-required confined space requirements.
As mentioned in the press release, reducing the risks tank cleaning workers face led to Chicago regional officers establishing a Regional Emphasis Program. “The program will focus on employers in industries typically engaged in tank cleaning activities, including trucking, rail and road transportation, remediation services, material recovery and waste management services.”
