Document 6wRNDRQNB2Dr4Laa4xL2993dg
*v
November 18, 195>1
Paul Harris, Safety Engineer, Seattle, Washington, phoned
to report the death of a
and the circumstances
which caused the death.
fas transferring jet fuel, i d e n t ifled
as JP3 f r o m a tank t ruck into an u n d e r g r o u n d aqua system tank
at 3r00 a,,m*, Thursday, N o v e m b e r 1 at M c C o r d Field,
Washington. He lowered himself into the manhole pit to check
the progress of the filling.while the fuel was flowing into
the tank. Presumably the displacement of air by the inflowing
fuel produced a very high concentration of vapor in the air
of the pit and might have displaced a considerable amount of
oxygen.
became unconscious v e r y shortly afiter entering
the pit and the other m a n on the job entered the p:it to
rescue
Tlie resc u e r was v e r y quickly siffected
by the atmosphere to such an extent that he left the pit and
only on a second entry was he able to get
out of the
pit. It was estimated that
[died about 10 minutes
after losing consciousness.
Mr. Harris was called on N o v ember 17, after the d eat h
occurred because someone thought of the possibilii ;y of T.E.L
being involved in the accident,
This aqua system tank had at one time stored leaded aviation
gasoline but the currently stored jet fuel presumably does not
contain lead.
HE 0017289
Mmo?andbm - He
- page 2
The death was almost certainly due to the vapors of the jet.fuel and T.E.L. even if present could not have been even a contributing factor.
This report is only for record.
Lester W. Sanders,; M.D.
KE 0017290
1 ij