C-store employee was cleaning water from the piping-pump sumps with the shop vac, but that’s not what killed him. He had set down cardboard sheets on icy snow to lay on, for reaching the sump bottom, and had set the shop vac inside the sump. It got filled, and he tried to pull the heavy tank up/out, but between the weight of it, and weight of his own body on the cardboard, he slid in, and couldn’t get himself out, then couldn’t holler for help due to positional asphyxiation. Customers tried to pull him out but he was a large man, and suffocation happened really fast.
Shop vacuums are not explosion-proof and using them to empty sumps is extremely dangerous. It is also located within the Class1Division 1 area.
Big time
Contaminating the shop vacuum with contaminated dry-sorb.
Plus a spark from the shop vac. Vapor, spark, air = potential fire.
Wrong brand vacuum and he should have the area conned first. Just kidding. This is a big no no.
C-store employee was cleaning water from the piping-pump sumps with the shop vac, but that’s not what killed him. He had set down cardboard sheets on icy snow to lay on, for reaching the sump bottom, and had set the shop vac inside the sump. It got filled, and he tried to pull the heavy tank up/out, but between the weight of it, and weight of his own body on the cardboard, he slid in, and couldn’t get himself out, then couldn’t holler for help due to positional asphyxiation. Customers tried to pull him out but he was a large man, and suffocation happened really fast.
Wow. What a terrible story! Make sure all your Class C employees are trained and safety procedures.