Document NE0L1qLQ4eob0Ey8gV7bpNojD

nT<ffvrw*rrc CO sma c s Im K <** > > << Sm 5i S3e-* f1 t-1 o M F* O o aSt) > c. 02t? Ht? V# JO r r 0021220 Mr, R. L. Goltz Kew York Division K. D. Ritchie Westfield, b. J. Shell Oil Company, Sevmren, N. J, Tank-cleaning, Tank 85 s>*c- /2 Dear Hoy: On December 6 the ilevf York Division office received a tank-cleaning notification from H.B.Quigley, plant sup erintendent at Shell*s Sevmren, N. J, terminal. Not ice was given that tank-cleaning would begin and entrances be made on December 7. Mr. Turnley requested me to attend this cleaning. Accordingly I went to 3ewaren on Tuesday, December 7th, arriving at 8:45 A. i'. Mr. Quigley was not at the plant, being confined to his home with broken ribs and a severe cold. Informed that a Mr. Gilman, plant engineer, would be in charge during Quigley's absence I had a talk with him. be discussed safety precautions during tank-cleaning operations and I learn ed that Gilman had attended at course in Safety Procedure at Rutgers University a counle of years before. He was thor oughly conversant with our regulations.' The tankin question, number 85, is two years old and is a diaphragm roof type of 110,00 bbl. capacity. It has two side manholes (diametrically opposite), and a manhole in the roof. Until a little over four months ago the tank had been in burning oil service (kerosene, light fuel oil) . At that time the tank was washed and pumped dry and put into leaded gasoline stfcrage service, 80 Octane. It is .not a blending tank. Beginning a week previous to December 7 the tank had been airing, aided by an electric eductor pump fitted to the roof manhole. This pump or blower sucks air in through the side manholes and out the roof manhole at the rated capacity of 3,000 cubic feet per hour. (On December 7 and 11 I was able to note the effectiveness of this circulation visually by movement of dust-motes in the sunlight into the side man holes. A piece of Kleenex when held in the manhole also tended to be drawn into the tank.) The air blower afore mentioned was in continuous operation through the week of Dec. ember 6th with the exception of four-hour periods .each day from 4s00 P.M. to 8t00 P.M. when it was shut down for lub rication and cooling purposes. Prior to December 7th the KE 0021221 & e . V 4 - .-v w; v -- M. D. Eitchle ev/ York Division 0St-liSxd, i'* * t-` . Shell Oil, Company,Sewaren, N. j. Xank-cleahing, Tank # 85, December 12* 1943 tank had been washed with fire-hose from the outside, and pumped dry with a sludge pump five distinct times* The reasgn for the tank-cleaning was the need for repairs to the diaphragm roof. The repairs to be done by the build er, Chicago Bridgg and Iron, and involving the use of hot- welding apparatus. (ee appended sketch.) After this discussion with Gilman I net Mr. behrner, plant 3afety; nan. Zohrner ms to be in charge of and assist in the tank-cleaning operation. He had been fore man in charge of cleaning a leaded tank sono two years ago, so he said, and was acquainted with our regulations. On the way to the tank he stopped to pick up safety equipment and appeared with two canister masks. Before going any further I handed him a copy of our regulations and we hashed out the tank-cleaning problem from A to Zr including the diff erence between lead-free and gas-free, reasons for boots, rubber gloves etc. Sehrner then exchanged the canister masks for complete airline equipment including positive blower, suffic ient hose and two masks. That morning Zehner spent about 45 minuteB in the tank with a high pressure hose, A sludge pump was in operation, sucking water and sludge. The dis charge hose of the pump was placed in a pit five feet deep and six feat square, with a step up to another pit of the same area but gniy two feet deep. The heavy deposits settled in the first pit and the liquid spilled gver and across the shallower pit into ft k short ditch which was connected to a drainage ditch running through the property into a settling tank at the edge of a creek which flows into the river. In the afternoon two more hours were spent by Zehrnor 'in hcSing the sides and roof of the tank, and then the men cleaned the rubber gear, changed clothes and bathod. On loading I mentioned that I could not say definitely what time I v/0uld appear the next day. On Wednesday, December 8th, at hr. Turnley*s request I went to - In the early A.H, to be on hand to Inspect a tank at Standard Oil Company of Dew Jersey's terminal there. This tank was to be repaired and put back Into service immediate ly and was then in process of being cleaned. I called Gilman at dewaren to tell him that I w^uld not be down there until the afternoon, and cautioned him along safety lines, Ke stated K& 0021:;3if f * Hr 3- & Mr. R. L Golta ;ew York Division [. D. Ritchie estfield, J. Shell Oil,Company,Sewaren, N. J. Tank-cleaning, Tank # 85 - . - *..- -i-4 ... * - December 12, 1943 that no work would be done on Tank 85 that day. After entering the tank in Hackensack at 4:15 P.M., and before leaving the Standard plant I called Gilman to tell him that I would-have togo to Philadelphia on Thursday, December 9, and again could not definitely say what time I would be on hand at tank 85. He doubted that work wnuld be done on the tank again on Thursday. I -went to Philadelphia and observed construction changes in the piping at the av iation blending plant (85CO,Philadelphia Yard) of Atlantic Refining Company*s Point Breeze refinery. On Friday, at 8:30 A.A. I called Gilman at Sewaren and ascertained that tank-cleaning would be done on that day. Since I had been requested to observe construction changes in Standard Oil Company of Hew Jersey's Bayonne* aviation Ethyl fluid unloading lines, dnd I could not be certain just what time Iw 0uld get to Sewaren I again caution ed Gilman on the observance of our safety regulations. The work at Bayonne lasted well into the afternoon, and at 3:00 P.M. it became apparent that I could not get to 3ewaren before work was stopped (3:30 P.M.). Accordingly X called Gilman again to check on the tank-cleaning and was informed that the job was almost completed and the tank would b8 ready fbr my inspection the next morning (Saturday). I drove to Sewaren Saturday morning, arriving about 9:00 A.iU, to find Zehroer waiting for mo at the Guard gate, v/e went right down to Tank 85. As we mountcjd the firewall I saw a man in ordinary work clgthea emerge from a manhole of the tank. I asked him who he was and virhat he was doing and he told me he was an electrician and was taking out the vapor- proof lamp which had been used in the Gank on the previous day. I asked him if he knew that the tank had been in leaded service, had not yet been inspected, and knew that no one should enter such a tank without proper clothing and 'airline mask until an Ethyl engineer had declared the tank lead-free. He looked strangely at Zehrner, and confessed his ignorance of such facts. I then quizzed Zehrner and he told me that three men had spent about hours cleaning the tank on Friday v/lthout benefit of masks of any sort. The only safety factor had been rubber KB Mim F % -4 4 Lir* H X*. uolts - V- * - M. D, Ritchie She11,Oil -Company,Sewnran, -. Tank-cleaning, Tan! h 85 ;;ow York Division 0StfiQZd# ii V Focombor 12s 1943 boots, use of Company a&foty clothing (white) while ?Jork-- ins, and bath at the end of the work-day. lehmer then wont on to explain that when Gilman requested throe laborers for tank-cleaning on Friday, a Harry' Miner, fore- jsan of laboring department had automatically been assigned to supervise the work. That he (lehraer) had explained to Miner the need for airline equipment and rubber gloves, but lacked necessary authority either to force their use or stop the worit. That he feared to go over Miner's head because of jealousies and politics. That if Vuigley had been on hand in the plant he.Could have appealed to him. Hehrner then told me that quigley had put in an appa&r- c.nce t his desk this morning, and while I proceeded to quig- 1ie.-.*y7 *'office behmer went off to sock Miner.' before I could engage quigloy alone, r.ehrner and Miner entered the office. I asked :.iiner" whether or not his non had worn masks and rubber gloves during the tank-cleaning on Friday. I!o replied in the affirmative,~ I then asked to speak to M/uigley alone, and requested that lehrner bo asked to wait close by.. I then asked kxigloy either to got to the bottom of the real truth, or to ascertain v/hero the throe men in question could be found so that X cguld talk with them. He stated that the men were to be :,+ Tank 85 in ten or fifteen minutes time and that I was at liberty to speak with them. I went right to the tank and found Miner and two men, Tirpak and Govollts setting up airline blower and hosing* I took Miner aside and wont through the routine explanation of needs for our safety regulations and re ceived his assurances that he would respect them in the future. Then I snoke casually to Tirpak and Govolits and learned that neither masks nor gloves had been used on Friday, out that the roof air eductor had been in operation continuously. They both seemed in good spirits and discreet questioning elicited no com plaints about health from cither man. I was told that the third man who had beer, exposed was a part-time employee (formerly full time) who vrorked as a paid fireman in the Woodbridge,ii.J., fire department. Gehrner said that I could see this man at the firehouse in foodbridge. Accompanied by kehrner, who, incidentally is a volunteer member of the same fire company, I wont immediately to Moodbridge and v/a found our man, Lleasick, reading in the firehouse lounge. For obvious reasons neither Md-M./;.-.:;*-;..,. K? 0021224 -5- gr. R. L. Goltz M i 0 D. Ritchie Shell Gil Company,Newaren, N J Tank-cleaning* Tank # 85 New York division estfield, N. J. December 12. 1$43 ray business connection nor the real purpose 0f our visit was disclosed. It was just a friendly vis' it to show me the firehouse* Messick, when lead into discussing the previous day's work at Shell's . plant, said that he had a funny tafefee in his south until a couple of hours past dinner on Friday, but that by the tine he went to bed the taste had dis appeared. He claimed to be in good health and ex pressed pleasure in the exercise gained during the tank-cleaning* Tithln a half hour from the visit with Messick crouched about four feet inside the tank adjacent to the manhole* He complained of the 7/inti and biting cold t ?hen I hauled them all out of the tank, I'iner aPpear- in a minute, coming around from the far aide of the'tank. He said he had left Olsen but a minute or two before. and berated him for not following orders. I then asked iSix hlner to explain to the three men -why they were wear ing masks, rubber glovoa and boots, figuring to judge his absorption of our previous talk and to impress these men, at least, with the story coming from their foreman. Lliner did a good job. Then Miner entered the tank to gather up the two remaining buckets of material and I changed my clothes, donning safety clothes, boots and rubber gloves and entered the tank. Inspection prved it to be lead-free. I s h h to it that the sludge pit was covered over and that the men cleaned boots gloves and hosing with water followed by kerossnae and then warned them of the urgent necessity for a bath all round, not just then, but at the end of every day of such cleaning. I now went to Hr. Quigley's office, following a phone conversation with you, during which you impressed upon me the need for close observation of the exposed men during the next five days. With Quigley I reviewed the whole affair and pointed out that Qur Medical Department K 0021225 V' R. L Goltz 1'iow York Division H. D. Ritchie eotfield, N. J. Shell Oil Cftopaay,3ev;arenf Tank-cleaning, Tank $ 85 December 12, 1043 KET might wish to examine the men who had been exposed. I emphasized the need for his setting up his organ ization in 3uch a manner that there could be no poss ibility of a repetition of the forogoing events. Quigley claimed that these events cpuld not have occurr ed if he had hot been on sick-leave. That eventuality, I responded, was exactly what he must take steps to guard against. He grouiaed to co-operate in that dir ection and stated that he was calling an immediate meet- of all persons involved in tank-cleaning and Ethyl blend ing activities. He promised to keep a close watch on Tirrjak and Govolltz, and so arrange their work for a few days that he could speax to them several times a day. He would do the dame in hessick'o case on the days when Messick worked at the plant. It is obvious th$t the reasons underlying the exposure of Mesaick, Tirpak, and GoVolits are the result of lack of ja.nd/or improper delegation of authority by I'r. Quigley. Zehrner, a safety man (ex-pipefitter foreman) was given autority to diagnose safety needs, but no power to stop work until remedies were applied, GilmanJs author ity reached to Miner in that he could assign him to a job but could not specify how the job should be done. Too, Sehmer, having been a foreman in charge of cleaning lead ed tank in the past, and being by experience,as well as through our talk of Tuesday, well acquainted with the proper safety procedures, nevertheless lacked the courage of his convictions. Rather than inform Giliman and insist on his co-operation, orcall your office even, he fell back weakly on the premise that he had fulfilled his duty when ho cautioned Miner. The circumstance of the five-time washing and sludge-pumping and the presence in operation of the air eductor, coupled with the fact that the tank had been in short-time leaded gasoline service and hence was comparatively clean, was a fortunate combination. I shall report further on this matter. 0021220 -i - - - , Very truly y Repairs to be effected upon diaphragm roof 0f Tanks 85 and 83, Shell Oil Company, Sewaren, B. J. Melding of leper plate of roof overhang where cracks have developed due to breathing process of roof. Installation of series of drains to carry condesate from roof overhang back into tank proper; from CA to D where drain meets and ehiferir tank-side. Holes to be cut <n roof at points between B and E on the circumference, to facilitate installation of baffles cn Interior of lower roof or overhang plate. KP 0021227 24535