A Welder Dies from Methylene Chloride Exposure While Removing Oil Residue from the Inside of a Motor Oil Tank - California

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Personal Author:
  Zubieta, Ingrid
• Corporate Authors:
  California Department of Public Health
• Description:
  On December 4, 2023, a 54-year-old male self-employed welder (the victim) working at a motor oil and lubricating products manufacturing facility, died from inhalation exposure to methylene chloride. The victim entered a 20 ft high by 10 ft wide empty motor oil storage tank to repair one of the blades inside. The victim was working by himself and used a product containing methylene chloride to remove oil residue at the bottom of the tank. The tank was not adequately ventilated, the victim was not trained in confined space entry, there was no attendant at the tank opening to monitor the work process inside, and there was no rescue plan in place. A company employee later located the victim at the bottom of the oil tank. The victim was removed from the tank and pronounced dead at the scene. Contributing factors: Using a product containing methylene chloride; Lack of confined space entry and rescue procedures; Lack of chemical hazard communication program; Lack of adequate respiratory protection. Recommendations - The California FACE (CA/FACE) investigator determined that, in order to prevent similar incidents, oil manufacturing companies should: 1) Avoid purchasing, storing and/or using products that contain methylene chloride. 2) Ensure oil tanks are identified as permit-required confined spaces when methylene chloride is used inside the tank. 3) Ensure a chemical hazard communication program is developed and implemented.
• Subjects:
  Confined Spaces Methylene Chloride Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Region 9; Fatalities; Safety practices; Confined spaces; Methylene chloride; Chemical safety; Respiratory protection; Small businesses; Substance use; Methamphetamine; Welders
• FACE - NIOSH and State:
  All (0000) ; Confined Space (0004)
• Source:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 23CA005, 2025 Apr; :1-11
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  State
• DOI:
  10.26616/NIOSHSFACE23CA005
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; West Virginia ; San Francisco Region [OSHA] ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  11 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071997
• Contact Point Address:
  California Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Branch, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, P-3, Richmond, CA 94804
• CAS Registry Number:
  Dichloromethane (CAS RN 75-09-2) ; Methamphetamine (CAS RN 537-46-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  42 - Wholesale Trade - (NAICS 2022) ; 424710 - Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals - (NAICS 2022)
• Start Date:
  20050701
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ef113b1983880a7245a7150fa7f186e1eb8e2e990c40f3fe74865d65ba5dd7a3f3f4f1829e0f6719a37e25123fff72b0e238864c6b7c67ab1a71f4d1367828ef
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258865/cdc_258865_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 697.66 KB ]