Document k6DGO1QJ0YaJpoDgVDG00NROD
Joint History of Exposure
I
Date 9-13-1932
On September 8th the three patients began cleja$^& operations
on Tank #8 - a 2G,00 3bl storage tank at Hartfordg/erminal of
Standard Oil Company^!. This tank had been in continuous use for
Ethyl gasoline storage for past three years - no other attempts at
cleaning during, that time., The tank had previously been opened at
4 manhole covers and had aired for 5-6. hours. The tank residue con
sisted of a? sludge of rust and scale l/2 to 1 inch thick covered by
a layer of<; ahou^^^^nche^^^itater and a thin film of gasoline. The
supervisor,
equipped with an air mash then went in
and using a r!rexro^^hdse, connected to an outside pump, succeeded
in evacuating nearly all of the liquid on the bottom except for smal], }
pools, accumulated in, the depressions in the metal floor. Following
this; operation, the sludge was scraped up and put into pails^Mch_
wereupaished.-tout ,,a lower, manhole to the two assistants,
and
one of whom handled the pails while the ocher
opei^leol'. After three hours of this work, Bernard
alternated b'p/ bcurh shifts with the men outside for the. remainder
of the day. i.o symptoms were noted by any of the men this day or
night. Thb following day, Friday, 9-9-32, the work was resumed in
the same manner - a man being gmride the tank about one hour in threes
Friday afternoon
tfHJ^^r/orked inside without masks for
1-l/s to 2, hems
maie^ebro ski was inside working for 4
hours withpuigi-maskjg. Gasoline fumes were heavy and nauseating and the-
air was filled with a fine dust arising mainly from the floor which
had dried out except in the deepe|gindentations - the. dust causing
repeated paraxysras of sneezing i**
of the men left work early
because of illness - all complaining of headache, giddiness, nausea
and weakness - none ate much dinner, nausea and headache were more
marked and vomiting occurrejd^i all three. Tinnitus noted by Zebroski blurring of vision byftf^PBr The three men averaged 1-1/2 to 2 hours
restless - sleep and wereunnpyed by the nevsistent odor of the tank
contents. The next day, Saturday, 9-10-32, there was persistence of
all symptoms^^vomiting was 'in-creased in frequency - 10-12 times in
case of;d^|BBf there was diarrhea and restlessness appeared. The
vomitus was bile stained watery mucous in each case and the diarrhea
was of liquid stools of normal color. Seen by Dr.-That.day and night
symptoms increased - sleep being impossible on Saturday night. Sunday
9-11-32 due to the increaseiin symptoms and marked anxiety of the
cases, they were hospitalized, further course in individual's histories.