Document 37GGKvKvdMDzqOv5GyXbzL7v3

Q-mmiUMi ami ux^x\onix " sM L l L COMPANY" 2 Reorder No. 912 P A R K BRAIN'13 F0L13LR MEDIUM HEAVY WEIGHT If) m ir> o c\l 0-2 --( oocv lu M. D. Ritchie Westfield, U, Shell Oil Company, Sewaren, N. J. Tank-cleaning, Tank # 85 2>c- ' 2 Dear Hoy: On December 6 the ilev? York Division office a tank-cleaning notification from H.B.Quigley, pl erintendent at Shell*s Sewaren, 11. J., terminal. ice was given that tank-cleaning would begin and be made on December 7. Mr. Turnley requested this cleaning. Accordingly I went to 3ewaren on Tuesday, arriving at 8:45 A. k. L'r. Quigley was not a being confined to his home with broken ribs and a Informed that a Mr. Gilman, plant engineer, would during Quigley's absence I had a talk with him. safety precautions during tank-cleaning operation ed that Gilman had attended at course in Safety P Rutgers University a counle of years before. oughly conversant with our regulations.' The tankin question, number 85, is two yea a diaphragm roof type of 110,00 bbl. capacity. side manholes (diametrically opposite), and a ma roof. Until a little over four months ago the in burning oil service (kerosene, light fuel oil) time the tank was washed and pumped dry and put i gasoline storage service, 80 Octane. It Is .n tank. Beginning a week previous to December 7 t been airing, aided by an electric eductor pump fi roof manhole. This pump or blower sucks air in side manholes and out the roof manhole at the rat of 3,000 cubic feet per hour. (On December 7 able to note the effectiveness of this circulatio by movement of dust-motes in the sunlight into th holes. A piece of Kleenex when held in the ma tended to be drawn into the tank.) The air bl mentioned was in continuous operation through the ember 6th with the exception of four-hour periods from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. when it was shut down rication and cooling purposes. Prior to Decem M. D. Ritchie estfield, N, 3hell Gil; Company,Sewaren, K. j. Tank -cleahing", Tank # 8 5, December 12 tank had been washed with fire-hose from the outside pumped dry with a sludge pump five distinct times. reason for the tank-cleaning was the need for repair the diaphragm roof. The repairs to be done by th er, Chicago iridgg and Iron, and involving the use welding apparatus. (6ee appended sketch.) After this discussion with Gilman I net Hr. De plant Safety nan. Zehrner was to be in charge of assist in the tank-cleaning operation. He had b man in charge of cleaning a leaded tank some tv?o yea so he said, and was acquainted with our regulation the way to the tank he stopped to pick up safety equ and appeared with two canister masks. Before goi further I handed him a copy of our regulations- and out the tank-cleaning problem from A to Z f including erence between lead-free and gas-free, reasons for gloves etc. Dehrner then exchanged the canister complete airline equipment Including positive blower ient hose and two masks. That morning Dehner spe 45 mi nuteB in the tank with a high pressure hose. pump was in operation, sucking water and sludge. charge hose of the pump was placed in a pit five fee six feat square, with a step up to another pit of t but ^nly two feet deep. The heavy deposits settl pit and the liquid spilled gver and across the shal a a short ditch which was connected to a drainage d through the property into a settling tank at the edg which flows into the river. In the afternoon two were spent by Zehrnor 'in homing the sides and roof and then the men cleaned the rubber gear, changed c bathod. On loading I mentioned that I could not what time I v/0uld appear the next day. On Y/ednead&y, December 8th, at Hr. Turnley*s went to .-iiacken_sa.ska in the early A .Li* to be on ha a tank at Standard. Oil Company of Hew Jer s e y 's termi This tank was to be repaired and put back into serv ly and was then in process of being cleaned. I at dewaren to tell him that I wguld not be down ther afternoon, and cautioned him along safety lines, LU D. Ritchie. . ... .c- Westfield, Shell Oil,Company,Sewaren, N. J. Tank-cleaning, Tank # 85 .. *:v. *....-- ... * December 1 that no work would be done on Tank 85 that day. entering the tank in Hackensack at 4:15 P.'.i. and b leaving the Standard plant I called Gilman to tell I would-have togo to Philadelphia on Thursday, Dece and again could not definitely say what time I woul hand at tank 85. He doubted that work w nuld be on the tank again on Thursday, I 'went to Philad and observed construction changes in the piping at iation blending plant (85CO,Philadelphia Yard) of A Refining Company's Point Breeze refinery. On Friday, at 8:30 A.A. I called Gilman at S and ascertained that tank-cleaning v/ould be done on day. Since I had been requested to observe cons changes in Standard Oil Company of hew Jersey's Bay aviation Ethyl fluid unloading lines, And I could certain just what time I^would get to Sewaren I aga ed Gilman on the observance of our safety regulatio The work at Bayonne lasted well into the aft and at 3;00 P.M. it became apparent that I could no 3ewaren before work was atopped (3:30 P.M.). Acco X called Gilman again to check on the tank-cleaning informed that the job was almost completed and the b8 ready fbr my inspection the next morning (Saturd I drove to Sewaren Saturday morning, arrivin 9:00 A.M., to find Zehroer waiting for mo at the Gu v/e went right down to Tank 8 5 As we mountcjd th I saw a man in ordinary work clgthea emerge from a the tank. I asked him who he was and ifrhat he was he told me he was an electrician and was taking out proof lamp which had been used in the Ganfc on the p I asked him if he knew that the tank had been in le had not yet been inspected, and knew that no one s such a tank without proper clothing and airline mas Ethyl engineer had declared the tank lead-free. strangely at Zehrner, and confessed his ignorance I then quizzed Zehrner and he told me that three me about 4 hours cleaning the tank on Friday without masks of any sort. The only safety factor had b - *vv**'* M* D* Ritchie She11; OilGoapany,Sewaren , Tank-cleaning, Tan! y 85 ... ul .-."5,* Scomber 12 hoots use of Company safety clothing ('/hit/ ..nil ing, and bath at the end of the work-day. Ssh then wont on to exolain that vrhen Gilman requested t laborers for tank-cleaning on Friday, a Harry Miner, isan of laboring department had automatically been as to supervise the work. That he (lehraer) had e to Miner the need for airline equipment and rubber but lacked necessary authority either to force thei stop the work. That he feared to go over Miner' because of jealousies and politics. That if Quig been on hand in the plant h e .Could have appealed to He hrner then told me that Quigley had put i ance at hia desk this morning, and while I proceed l e y 's office kehroer went off to sock Miner. be engage Quigley alone, Gehroer and Miner entered the I asked miner"whether or not his non had worn asks gloves during the tank-cleaning on Friday. i!o repl affirmative,~ I then asked to speak to Quigley and requested that Sehrner be asked to wait close by asked uigloy either to get to the bottom of the re or to ascertain where the three men in question cou so that X cguld talk with them. He stated that to be :,+ Tank 85 in ten or fifteen minutes time an at liberty to speak with them. I went right to found Miner and two men, Tirpak and Govolltz settin blower and hosing I took Miner aside and wont routine explanation of needs for our safety regulat ceived his assurances that he would respect them in Then I sn oke casually to Tirpak and Govolits and le neither masks nor gloves had been used on Friday, roof air eductor had been in operation continuously seemed in good spirits and discreet questioning eli plaints about health from cither man* I was tol third man who had beer, exposed was a part-time empl full time) who vrorked as a paid fireman in the Woo fire department. Hehrner said that I could see the firehouse in Hoodbridge* Accompanied by ke incidentally is a volunteer member of the same fire I wont immediately to Moodbridge and v/a found our m reading in the firehouse lounge* For obvious r li. D. Ritchie .iOstfxdcl, x4# Shall Oil company,Hewaren, I;. J. Tank-cleaning* Tank # 85 Decomber 12, 1 ray bsainesa connection nor the real purpoae of our visit v/as diaclosed. It was just a friendly vi it to show me the firehouse* kessick, when lea into discussing the previous d a y 's work at Shell's plant, said that he had a funny tafefee in his mout until a couple of hours past dinner on Friday, but that by the tine ho went to bed the taste had dis appeared. He claimed to be in good health and e pressed pleasure in the exercise gained during the tank-cleaning. hithin a half hour from the visit with Mea I v;as back at the tank farm and there at Tank 85 I found a man named Olsen grinding av/ay at the IIOh b crouched about four feet inside the tank adjacent the manhole* He complained of the wind and bitin when I hauled them all out of the tank, Minor ir. a minute, coming around from the far aide of t He said he had. left Olsen but a minute or two bef and berated him for not following orders. I the Mis Miner to explain to the three men -why they wer ing masks, rubber gloves and boots, figuring to his absorption of our previous talk and to impress men, at least, with the story coming from their fo Miner did a good job. Then Miner entered the t gather up the two remaining buckets of material an changed my clothes, donning safety clothes, boots rubber gloves and entered the tank. Inspection it to be lead-free. ' I sas to it that the sludge pit was covered and that the men cleaned boots gloves and hosing w water followed by keroesnae and then warned them urgent necessity for a bath all round, not just but at the end of every day of such cleaning. I now went to Hr. Quigley's office, followi phone conversation with you, during which you impr upon me the need for close observation of the expo during the next five days. With Quigley I revie the whole affair and pointed out that Qur Medical M. D. Ritchie eatfield, Shell Oil Gqmpamy,Dewaren, Tank-cleaning, Tank 85 December 12 might wish to examine the men who had been expose X emphasized the need for his setting up his orga ization in 3uch a manner that there could be no p ibility of a repetition of the forogoing events. Quigley claimed that these events opuld not have ed if he had hot been on sick-leave. That even I responded, was exactly what he must take steps guard against. He promised to co-operate in th ection and stated that he was calling an immediat of all persons involved in tank-cleaning and Ethy ing activities* He promised to keep a close on firpak and. Govolltz, and so arrange their work few days that he could speak to them several time He v.'ould do the dame in essick's case on the day Wessick worked at the plant. It is obvious th$t the reasons underlying the exp Messick, Tirpak, W i d GoVolits are the result of l and/or improper delegation of authority by Hr. Qu Zehrner, a safety man (ex-pipefitter foreman) was autority to diagnose safety needs, but no power t work until remedies were applied, GilmanJa au ity reached to Miner in that he could assign him but could not specify how the job should be done. Zehrner, having been a foreman in charge of clea ed tank in the past, and being by experience,as through our talk of Tuesday, well acquainted wit proper safety procedures, nevertheless lacked the of his convictions. Rather than inform Gilman on his co-operation, orcall your office even, h back weakly on the premise that he had fulfilled when ho cautioned Miner. The circumstance of the five-time washing and slu and the presence in operation of the air eductor, with the fact that the tank had been in short-tim gasoline service and hence was comparatively clea fortunate combination. X shall report further on this matter. f) / Repairs to be effected upon diaphragm roof 0f Tank 8 3, Shell Oil Company, Sewaren, 1 J. OA -- 7'elding of leper plate of roof overhang where cra developed due to breathing process of roof. Installation of series of drains to carry condesa roof overhang back into tank proper; from CA to drain meets and ehifcrir tank-side. Holes to be cut <n roof at points between B and E circumference, to facilitate installation of baf Interior of lov/er roof or overhang plate. K ? 0021227