GAS POISONING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20105, 11 May 1935, Page 7

GAS POISONING

WORKS FOREMAN’S DEATH INQUEST HELD An inquest into the death of Thomas James White, aged 64, who was found unconscious over a valve in a purifier pit at the Timaru Gas. Coal and Coke Company’s works on Thursday afternoon and who died shortly after was held yesterday before Mr A. L, Gee, coroner. Sergeant Vaughan handled the inquiry for the Police. A verdict that death was due to carbon monoxide poisoning was returned. Robert Cody Gillespie, an employer of the Timaru Gas, Coal, and Coke Company, gave evidence of indentification and said that White, who was a works foreman, had been employed by the Company for 40 years. Witness last saw White at 12.8 p.m. on Wednesday, when he told witness that he was going for his lunch. White’s usual lunch hour was from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., but he often left early. Witness went to the purifier and looked round when he returned from his lunch a little before 1 o’clock, and found everything in order inside the purifier, where the men worked. The men began work and witness went to the office to weigh some coal which was coming in. Shortly after he was told by some of the men that White had been found in a state of collapse in a pit between two purifiers. The pit was about six feet deep. White would have occasion to go down there to examine the valves. White had been removed from the pit when witness arrived, and he found no leakages in the purifier. White appeared to be in excellent spirits all the morning. Employees were permitted to go down the pit to examine the valves alone, but if there were any leakages it was the rule to obtain assistance and wear a gas mask if necessry. Evidence of Gas Poisoning Dr. C. S. Fraser said he received an urgent call to the gas works about 1.15 p.m. and found White on a platform in the yard, with one of the men doing artificial respiration. White appeared to be dead, but witness continued with artificial respiration for some minutes without success. Witness recalled a history that White had been confused and excited about 10 a.m. The history was consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning having taken place at that time. There was also a history of a severe accident two years before. In a post-mortem examination, which he conducted in the afternoon, witness suspected coal gas poisoning and removed blood from the arm. There were bright pinkish spots on the in,.sides of the arms and legs and over the sides of the chest. The valves of the heart were normal. The lower lobe of the left lung was collapsed and covered with adhesion due to the fracture of ribs received in an accident two years previously. The rest of the lungs were pinkish in appearance but otherwise normal. The same pinkish colour was apparent in the kidneys and liver. There was bloodstained fluid in the venticles of the brain and the whole body blood was of fluid consistency. Tests carried out on the blood removed were positive for carbon monoxide haemoglobin. In witness’s opinion death was due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Eric Shortland, gas works employee, said he was working under White’s supervision on Wednesday. He spoke to White a few minutes before leaving for his lunch at noon. When he returned at 1 o’clock he started work in the purifier. With four other employees he worked for about a quarter of an hour, when he looked into the pit and saw White lying unconscious at the bottom. He gave the alarm and White was carried out into the fresh air and artificial respiration was begun. White must have been in the pit when witness returned from lunch. When he looked into the pit, witness noticed a strong smell of gas about the purifier. During the lunch hour White would be the only man in that part of the building. Witness corroborated Gillespie's statement regarding permission to enter the pit alone if gas was escaping. Valve Seal Removed Henry Burall Courtis, assistant engineer at the works, said that White had appeared to be in higher spirits than usual during the morning and was talking a good deal, so he ordered him into the fresh air. If a man stayed under the influence of gas he became talkative as White was, but the effects passed off in fresh air. Witness spoke to White two or three times between that time and noon and he appeared normal. On his return to the works at 1 o’clock witness looked inside the purifier and spoke to the two men who were there. He tuen left the works for a while but was recalled urgently and found Dr. Fraser attending White in the yard. Witness examined the purifier and the pit and saw that a bladder or gas bag used through a hand hole to seal the valve was lying on the floor. The cover of the hand hole had been loosely replaced. Before removing the bladder and recovering the hand hole an employee should have, by the Company’s orders, worn a gas mask. Witness could not suggest anything which would necessitate White’s making those adjustments to the valve. With the cover loose, the escape of gas would be sufficient to make it dangerous to work there. In witness's opinion, the bladder in the hand hole must have been removed by White. Formal evidence was given by Constable W. J. Watt. Tire Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to carbon monoxide poisoning. He added a rider that, from the evidence, it would appear that White had been working at the hand hole in the pit without having carried out the Company’s rule which required a gas mask to be used.