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Tank Incident #24 Brief Summary Tank #15 - Continental Oil Company, Artesia, New Mexico - December 1944 Tank cleaned November 27, 28 and 29, 1944, for inspection of leaking bottom. Full equipment used during cleaning and no illness developed as result of cleaning. Small holes found in bottom. Instructions given by Ethyl Corporation representative that new steel bottom could not be installed unless bottom and bottom of sides sandblasted. It was agreed that new concrete bottom could be poured without protective equipment although tank had not been declared "clean." Tank was steamed
intermittently for three days after cleaning presumably to vaporize gasoline which
might have been under floor. Concrete floor poured December 9, 1944.
Seven men were on concrete job and all worked in tank for varying periods,
the contractor, was in and out of tank but was in tank probably for only
<j//jshort periods.
and
were in tank an indeterminate time but probably
very short time,
was an tank a "considerable" amount of time, j^^was
in tank "part time,"
was in one-half day and felt ill and refused to reenter.
Uvas in essentially full time and worked very hard.
Illness in relationship to in-tank time is shown by following table:
Name
In Tank
Urine Pb
Mg./L.
Blood Pb
Mg./lOO g.
Symptoms
very little "out most of time"
No symptoms
No direct statement made but nervousness and insomnia reported for his group
"out most of time"
No symptoms
"considerable time"
0.13
0.070
Insomnia - "shaky"-"afraid," unstable, recovered in about a w
"probably half or more timte"
0.80
0.050
Moderate intoxication - is epileptic - recovery in about 10 days
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KZ 0021392
-2-
Tank Incident #24
Name
In Tank half day
Urine Pb
Mg./L.
0.80
Blood Pb
Mg./100 g.
--
Symptoms
Very mild intoxication recovery three days
full day
0.125
Symptoms started on job. Not only greatest exposure in terms of time but worked the hardest and must have taken in more air. Severe intoxication. Died.
Discussion
All evidence would point to a very high concentration of lead in the tank
atmosphere against which there was no defense.
Correlation between time in tank and illness is fairly consistent excepting
for Nobles who had only a very mild intoxication in spite of a fairly clear record
of 1/2 day in tank. How&ver^ time in tank for Nobles is consistent with urine Pb
findings which is consistent with more severe intoxication than was in evidence.
Gibson's moderate illness is consistent with time in tank but not consistent with
blood and urine lead.
The entire picture is consistent with what might be expected considering
all of the circumstances.
Cause - Working in tank with no protective equipment. Tank had been cleaned but
lead vapors undoubtedly forced from beneath tank through holes by weight of
concrete. Organic lead in side scale presumably as result of steaming.
10- 7-1963 LWS
0021393
i
3
Tank Incident #24
13 men on job 4 or more forked in tank for from 1 to 8 hours 4 were ill 1 died
Factors responsible:
1. Tank steamed 2. Leaking bottom 3. No respiratory protection 4. Fatal illness produced by eight hours of very hard work
without mask. 5. Extremely high concentration of organic lead found in
sludge.
11- 1-63 -
Lester W. Sanders^ M.D.
KF 0021394
co CO CO
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