Freeflow Services, LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Nov 4, 2016 (fatal): One employee dies, one hospitalized in confined space

At approximately 9:45 a.m. on November 4, 2016, Employee #1, wearing a full face respirator, opened the hatch of ETS tanker T442 to initiate cleaning. It contained residue from hazardous waste. Employee #2 witnessed Employee #1 bend over the hatch area on top of the trailer as he walked by. As Employee #2 continued along the trailer toward the front he heard a loud thump and knew Employee #1 had fallen into the tanker. Employee #2 heard Employee #1 call out for help. Employee #2 immediately climbed the ladder of the trailer and looked inside and saw Employee #1 lying unconscious at the bottom. Employee #2 called to a coworker for a full face respirator, put on the respirator, and asked the coworker to help him, and entered the trailer. The coworker climbed the ladder and saw Employee #2 lose grip on Employee #1 and begin to stagger. The coworker reached out to Employee #2 by entering the space with his head, arm and shoulder, only to lose a finger grip on Employee #2 as he went unconscious and fell to the bottom of the trailer. The coworker ran to the office building to alert staff and get emergency assistance. Employee #1 died from asphyxiation due to high chemical vapor concentration and suppressed oxygen. Employee #2 was hospitalized.