Document 3NGJMXBG3q4qEe0jVm5X4ann

ETHYL CORPORATION lOO PARK AVENUE BUILDING AT 41s t STREET NEW YOKE 17, N. Y. January 15, Ij a- Dr. K. V. Kitzmiller The Kettering Laboratory Eden and Bethesda Avenues Cincinnati 19., Ohio Dear Karl: Subject: Japanese Tank Cleaning Accident We have just received a supposedly authentic report on the tank cleaning accident which occurred in Japan in 1958 >| It will he noted that the actual fatalities occurred between August 27 and September 2 of that year. If you have-^ny comments, we would appreciate hearing from you. J / Yours very/truly. i HKB:vb Attachment CC: Dr. L. W. Sanders Mr. J. J. Frey Mr. A. J. Baldwin -  s <; ,'cfi*' ,:=u. Sfc the ertiexe a eire * ^ *la*ta* 'r. Tt\ * KS? __ _ c .cost reliable reportera^of^this mcct&tA^ &jsa?r h&w ; 2/'1|5S| ,,> ' 3 Cleaning .-.Personnel: \ Cleaning of the tanks was .subcontracted by.a Japanese.^. V:\taM.cleaning .company. fay.-"order:*,pf-the U^vS.-ulbrces :imder.;supervision.-of:Ntiae,:j| ' IF. ^S.' fbroes--* r-"-'" r " ""'-;-r';" "'""v 4. Tanks: t Under-Aground, aviation .gasoline: tanks, originally constructed by -the ,. ^fepaaese^Ifavy, vwhich;-ham-.-fbeen'-owoed by U. S.^Forces "in-'Japan after .the. war.."": Humber and capacity of ..the/^fcanks are unknown hut .they are estimated approvl-,, mtely:'at'=-i2--vjd;^>iO!Mitons|u.respectivelyi,-On: -top of..- the rtank -there.: .^aa.-x-1 a mnhol.-.in:=the:-:cente.r^-.'idiicte:was.:;.the. only entran.ce.to.the,tsnk. U\rer ,: -.. the manhole a winch %e installed by which sludge was carried out. Besides ; the :manhole; wentil&tion^faolei was:: attached to the .tank said pipelines/through- the tunnel .beneath-the .'t .-, .:;-v.,,-v :,v.. ' ' , '. ~r2'^,' '."' .',, ' 51; ' ; .;:. ...,:- " . \" ' :: 5' Sai`eny-'Squipaiento:^Aecording.-,to;'-the, contract prior to the-cleaning, the safety equipHaentstaucfras:< rubber- bootsgrubber-:gloves,---;safety-helmets;---air-.:-:; casks, coverall, etc. were furnished by the sub -contractor^ while life-'" Jackets, were fuxnishedLby...the.orderer regarding the working condition. .. 6. Cleaning FroriiSr^fWlbrainii* the gasoline,^ttey fiAed^the^ta^ ^bh STteFSade of empty drums floating on the water . as . lll^orJ onSE*tb* workSs could wash the tank from top xo bottom vnixe , water was drained,j**?--i 'f-SV* "*' `rW-f': ;.. , " ' :.": Vorkirg Hours: -Morning- * &.-3Q - 3.2.00 .............. ..(break, for luach;^.00 1.00) ... f, vorV^ .^Afte^rnoon"^1c.00 -*4;^.3d0 -vlVi,ut Bur or lank vas 95T the highest,.while inside the tank was a little cool 4- V*. ii*- * f2 *** `^=* sr r n. "^JpitS* ~**?a -2-^ -.j : -t?ti;v-* 'Vw\..~'. * .- 'S--" -"" V dP-f M.-y-- ^qS~ "* ^5. - IfgpfSS^:' to t K 001731)0 21^ N21052.01 -2v 4 -' fi^'"Bcv^ti*e`Cl*aaiug Went on: Tank cleaning was started in the first part of ''iopf&nd six tanks were cleaned by tbs middle of July 195& S* ' - ta^k wajB hiiftg cleaned between July 20th andAngust 2:6th. ! At the lent ` put-dcf cleknla of this 7th task mm people were'' of hsi^h':a3sdi; eie^plessi^sa;,' who were not able to continue to work. Aksif i ^ <0siSSC 'siilKfP5fS':^ thlic result, the director of 'tbs subcontractor ms obliged tfb:-lre day XabomM tf^or^tlly'=&>' ehe not accuatcMsed to cleaning leaded gasoline. ^ -; atne.- : - Tr. the meantis, the following number of the victisi'' 'Wfc^'deadr " *' - - 4r * ~ . ~,,r'_- '" , r-' / * '- 't%e7%<^*-f? ~VV- >-i - j-; * S.*. ' < -* `s^-: - August 27th 4 " 28th 2 n 30th 1 September 2nd 1 -%&r--w ^3.': /- i;The victim dead on SeptffiB&er 2ndms the director of'the astubcontractor a'*"!': t';'V;!iisffilf.' This ms reported to the public by some Japanese newspapers, whljfih' finally called the people ' s attention to toe accident. j sfe'2t - - * <t* $ if 4>T"- 9. Factors to the Cause of the Accident: Some factors which werh presumed as the causes of the accident axe as follows: 1) Insufficient inspection of the safety equipments As the tank crew veared overall made of absorbent matert l , cotton, his skin was almost free to touch contaminated water wfaic came down from the ceiling and wall. He should have worn water-p: if clothing, Upon checking-up made after the accident, some of the s sty equipments were found useless from damage, For example, 2/3 of :r gloves were found broken, while 3 rubber boot out of 30 were b ken. Due to 1 neglecting daily inspection, complete equipments at the ginning of the cleaning were damaged while using. 2} Severe working condition. AS there was no break-off to rest in the working hours of 3- 30 each in the morning and afternoon, the tank crews in the tank sometime took - their gloves and masks off to sop sweat. ! 3) Insufficient knowledge of lead-hazard. , The cleaning procedure manual published ixj, the U. S. was ^translated into Japanese sad was given to the subcontractor by the ordersr, in which there ms no instruction suitable to this type of cleaning. ' k) The supervisor measured only concentration of gasoline vapor in the tank everyday at the beginning qff cleaning. And, he even advised the tank crews not to use las&ks when he measured little concentration of gas vapor In -1 the tank. 'f 10.. "bgy.Lead-Hazard appeared at 7th Tank's Cleaning: . i. - By quantitative analysis of sludge the biggest quantity of lead was found : ~ In the sludge obtained from the 7th tank among'aUL the tank. It is presvised that in this 7th tank the gasoline specially contained TKL which exceeded the 3rsit of regular dosage for seme reasons,^ If not, however, I it can easily speculated that lead deposited, which had been introduced iirto worker's body- through his skin and mouth during the last few months, had accumulated and lastly exceeded, the limit by the period of cleaning the 7th! tank. : - ; - The End' - I i y.vr; v ________1__ . T- ' !> I...... y: ifttoae____. V .it