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Philadelphia Worker Dies Of Suspected Chemical Inhalation

Just last week we wrote about a Pennsylvania maintenance worker who was killed while working in an electrical fire occurred, and discussed how out-of-use buildings can sometimes have major safety hazards to workers. Unfortunately, another worker has recently been killed while working in a vacant building, this time in Chester County.

Police told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the 28-year-old worker had been hired to clean up a vacant communications building in Charlestown Township, Pennsylvania, and was killed after an apparent overexposure to a chemical in the cooling system.

Apparently, the man and his brother, who co-owned a debris removal company, entered the building at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and went down to the basement to let in their crew of workers through the garage door. However, when they were in the lower level, they were exposed to fumes that are believed to have come from air-conditioning cooling units, police said.

While one brother was able to escape from the building, the 28-year-old man collapsed and could not. Police said that two workers and the brother went into the building in attempt to rescue the man, but they were overcome by the poisonous fumes. The brother then collapsed, and luckily the other men got out and called 911.

All four men were taken to the hospital where the 28-year-old was pronounced dead. According to police, the Chester County Hazardous Material Team was called to come ventilate the building.

Police also said they are investigating the incident, but believe that the workers had been in the beginning stages of removing the building’s cooling units. The units were still pressurized and gases such as Freon had been allowed to escape when several valves on the units had been opened.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Worker dies after apparent chemical inhalation,” Kathleen Brady Shea, 5/8/2011.