| Massachusetts Case Report:
04-MA-032 |
Release Date: January 31, 2006
|
Summary
On September 2, 2004, two 35-year-old floor sanders (victims)
were fatally injured and two other floor sanders were burned, one
seriously, when the three-family house they were working in caught
fire. The victims were refinishing the wood floors in the third
floor unit and the stairs leading up to the third floor unit of
the multifamily house. The incident occurred when the flammable
lacquer floor sealer that they were applying ignited, causing the
house to catch fire. Calls were placed to emergency medical
services (EMS) and the fire department. Within minutes, EMS and
fire department personnel arrived at the site to attend to the
victims and control the fire. One of the victims was pronounced
dead at the scene. The other three workers were transported to a
local hospital where a second worker died of his burns the
following day.
Recommendations/Discussion
Recommendation #1: Employers should use wood
floor finishing products that are less flammable (products with
flash points greater than 100° F) for indoor applications.
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