Fire official: Schenectady gas victims were critical One worker tried to save the other
By DAVID FILKINS, Staff writer Last updated: 2:13 p.m., Tuesday, August 26, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- Two employees of an Erie Boulevard business were in critical condition when firefighters pulled them from the back of a tanker truck that was filled with sewage fumes, according to the Fire Department.
Two other employees at Precision Industrial Materials at 1710 Erie Blvd. were sickened by the fumes and six firefighters had to be decontaminated after being exposed to the gas as they pulled the men from the truck. They were all examined at the hospital and released.
The two men found in the tank were in critical condition when they were taken to Ellis Hospital after the 9 a.m. incident, firefighters said. Ellis officials have not responded to a request for comment.
Fragomeni said one of the men was overcome by the fumes as he tried to make a repair and the second man was critically poisoned when he climbed in the top hatch to try to save his co-worker.
"It's like if you're swimming and your buddy starts drowning. You're going to jump in after him," Fragomeni said.
The men were poisoned by hydrogen sulfide, a gas biproduct of sewage. Precision handles environmental cleanup.
Fragomeni said the first man was attempting to make a repair in the tank when he was sickened. The rear of the tank can be opened to aid ventilation, but Fragomeni said it was closed when firefighters arrived.
Firefighters popped the tanker open and pulled out the two men, he said.
In an instant, a workday turns to a horror OSHA officials probe hydrogen sulfide poisoning in Schenectady
By DAVID FILKINS and LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writers First published: Wednesday, August 27, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- It was just after 9 a.m. Tuesday when two employees of an Erie Boulevard waste cleanup company approached a tanker truck. One climbed in to repair its interior. Minutes later, both men lay near death -- overcome by toxic sewage fumes.
The names of the workers from Precision Industrial Maintenance haven't been released. Both were in critical condition when admitted to Ellis Hospital, where they remained late Tuesday.
Police say the incident unfolded quickly. One of the workers climbed into the tanker through a hatch on top and was almost immediately stricken. As that man struggled to escape the fumes inside, the second man jumped through the hatch to rescue his co-worker and also was overcome by the gas.
"It's like if you're swimming and your buddy starts drowning," Schenectady Deputy Fire Chief Mark Fragomeni said. "You're going to jump in after him."
A Precision employee called 911 at 9:19 a.m. and less than five minutes later, 15 members of the fire department's Hazmat team were on the scene. They opened the back of the tanker and pulled the men to safety.
Once outside, the injured men -- as well as the firefighters -- were stripped and washed -- a process known as decontamination. In all, four Precision workers and six firefighters, all of whom participated in the rescue, went to Ellis Hospital for treatment.
Fire officials said everyone was treated and released, with the exception of the two badly injured Precision workers.
Fragomeni, who also coordinates the department's response to hazardous materials emergencies, said the men were poisoned by hydrogen sulfide, a gas byproduct of sewage. He said he did not know if the injured workers were wearing safety equipment, which could include respirators.
The Albany area office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the incident Monday.
Two reporters who went to Precision headquarters Tuesday afternoon were referred by workers to a man wearing a shirt with a Precision logo on the front who refused comment. And when called by a reporter, a company receptionist responded with, "No thank you" and hung up.
Precision Industrial was cited by OSHA in March for eight violations for allowing its workers to demolish a painted staircase during renovations of University at Albany's Husted Hall on Western Avenue without properly protecting them from lead and cadmium exposure.
The violations, seven of which were declared serious by OSHA, included that Precision should have conducted air samples during the removal and did not require workers to wear protective clothing or respirators when removing lead-painted surfaces, according to OSHA documents.
OSHA initially fined Precision $4,900 in that case, but a settlement worked out between the two dropped the fine classification from "serious" to "other" and lowered the fine to $2,450, which Precision paid, said Ed Jerome, director for the Albany area OSHA office.
In another incident, a Precision worker suffered injuries February 2007 while removing hydrochloric acid from a dental building basement in the Utica area, according to published reports. The worker got some of the solvent on his arms.
Precision's headquarters moved from Broadway in Schenectady around 2006 with the assistance of the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority. Ray Gillen, Metroplex's chairman, said Precision received no money for the move. Precision sold its building to Villa Italia bakery and moved to the Erie Boulevard site.
"They're a very good company, they're very well known in their field," Gillen said. Filkins can be reached at 454-5456 or by e-mail at dfilkins@timesunion.com.
SCHENECTADY Workers overcome by fumes remain in critical condition OSHA begins review of incident BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Two men remained hospitalized Wednesday, a day after they were overcome by toxic fumes in a truck at their employer’s Erie Boulevard work site, and the federal government is investigating the incident, officials said. Ed Jerome, director of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration offi ce in Albany, said the investigation could take several weeks. “There are certain accidents we always respond to, such as confined space incidents, which can involve one or more fatalities. When we heard about it, we got someone out there right away,” Jerome said. “We know these types of situations are very serious.” Ellis Hospital spokeswoman Donna Evans said both men were at the hospital but would not state their conditions. She cited privacy restrictions. A source familiar with the case, not affiliated with the hospital, said both men were in Ellis’ intensive care unit. Officials have not released the names of the injured. The men work for Precision Industrial Maintenance at 1710 Erie Blvd. which specializes in cleaning pipes, culverts and industrial sites. A company spokeswoman had no comment Wednesday. Firefighters on Tuesday pulled the two men unconscious from in- side a tanker truck used to collect raw sewage. The men were overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes, a gas generated by sewage. One man was overwhelmed by fumes when he went inside the tanker — a confined space — for an unspecified reason, and the second man was overcome when he went to help, city firefighters said. Both men were in critical condition when taken to Ellis on Tuesday, shortly after the incident was reported at 9:50 a.m. Nine other fi refighters and ambulance personnel had to be decontaminated at Ellis following their exposure to the fumes. The Schenectady County Hazardous Materials Response Team was called. Jerome said OSHA cited Precision in March for eight violations, seven of them serious, following a spot inspection of a job it was performing at University at Albany’s Husted Hall on Western Avenue. He said Precision failed to provide workers with protective clothing and change areas and did not monitor their exposure to airborne particles. OSHA initially fined Precision $4,700 but reached a settlement where the company paid a fine of $2,470, Jerome said. “It was program inspection from a randomized list. When we went there, we encountered some violations,” Jerome said.
Injured worker dies Thursday, August 28, 2008 By Michael Lamendola (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — A Precision Industrial Maintenance worker died at Ellis Hospital late Wednesday after being overwhelmed by toxic fumes in a truck at his employer’s Erie Boulevard work site Tuesday, according to hospital spokeswoman Donna Evans. Evans said a second worker, also overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes, was in good condition today, an upgrade from his earlier critical condition. Evans would not provide the names of the employees or additional information, at the request of family members. Schenectady firefighters pulled the two men unconscious from the back of a tank truck Tuesday morning at Precision’s headquarters at 1710 Erie Blvd. Both men were taken in critical condition to Ellis Hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit. Deputy Fire Chief Mark Fragomeni said one man apparently went inside the tanker, used to haul raw sewage, and was overcome by the fumes. The second man went to assist and also was overcome. The tanker was empty, having dropped off its load earlier at the city’s waste treatment plant. Hydrogen sulfide is a gas, a by product of sewage. Precision handles industrial wastes. The Albany office of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.
Logged
