105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #1001015

LEAK,VENTILATION,AMMONIA,INHALATION,VALVE,TOXIC FUMES

Event
LEAK,VENTILATION,AMMONIA,INHALATION,VALVE,TOXIC FUMES
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
1001015
Report ID
751910

Event description

EMPLOYEES INHALED LEAKING AMMONIA FUMES

Investigation abstract

AT ABOUT 3:15 ON JANUARY 27, 1986, THE EMPLOYEES ON THE ICE CREAM FILLING LINE S MELLED AMMONIA. THE ODOR SEEMED TO COME FROM DOWNSTAIRS. THE EMPLOYEES FIRST WEN T TO A CONTROL ROOM FOR SAFETY. HOWEVER, AS THE SMELL WORSENED, THE EMPLOYEES WE NT DOWN THE STAIRS AND OUTSIDE THE PLANT. THEY WERE TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL FOR OBSE RVATION, AND SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED. AN OPEN VALVE ON THE FIRST FLOOR CAUSED THE LEAK. ONE OF THE VALVES POPPED. A MAINTENANCE MAN HEARD IT AND SHUT IT OFF. THE AMMONIA WHICH LEAKED WAS WHAT REMAINED IN THE LINE. THE PLANT WAS AIRED OUT NO P ROBLEMS REMAIN.

Victims (14)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #10 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #11 Hospitalized Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #12 Hospitalized Age 26 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  5. #13 Hospitalized Age 43 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  6. #14 Hospitalized Age 39 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  7. #2 Hospitalized Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  8. #3 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  9. #4 Hospitalized Age 25 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  10. #5 Hospitalized Age 20 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  11. #6 Hospitalized Age 37 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  12. #7 Hospitalized Age 23 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  13. #8 Hospitalized Age 20 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1
  14. #9 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    754
    Human factor
    13
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0170
    Task assigned
    1

Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.