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 #14196570

RESPIRATORY,UNCONSCIOUSNESS,CPR,PPE,WORK RULES,INHALATION,SCBA,TOXIC FUMES,HYDROGEN SULFIDE,GAS LEAK

Event
RESPIRATORY,UNCONSCIOUSNESS,CPR,PPE,WORK RULES,INHALATION,SCBA,TOXIC FUMES,HYDROGEN SULFIDE,GAS LEAK
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14196570
Report ID
352450

Event description

9 EMPLOYEES INJURED WHEN EXPOSED TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEES #3, #4, AND #5 WERE LOCATED ON TOP OF A NONCONDENSIBLE GAS STORAGE TAN N FULL CARDIAC ARREST AND HAD STOPPED BREATHING. CPR WAS ADMINISTERED. EMPLOYEE #4 REVIVED QUICKLY, BUT IT TOOK LONGER TO GET EMPLOYEE #3'S HEART TO RESUME BEAT ING. OXYGEN HAD TO BE ADMINISTERED ALL THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL. EMPLOYEE #1 REMO VED HIS SCBA MASK DURING THE RESCUE IN ORDER TO RENDER CPR. THE ALARMS ON SEVERA L SCBA'S WENT OFF BEFORE THE PROCEDURE WAS COMPLETE. EMPLOYEES #2,#6,#7,#8 AND # 9 WERE GIVEN OXYGEN AT THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED. EMPLOYEES #1,#5 AND #4 SUFFERE D FROM RESPIRATORY DISTRESS AND NAUSEA. THEY WERE KEPT IN THE HOSPITAL UNDER OBS ERVATION FOR 3 DAYS. EMPLOYEE #3 IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL. HIS EEG IS A STRAIGHT LINE FOR BOTH BRAIN HEMISPHERES. HE IS IN A COMA AND THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH ACTIV ITY IN THE BRAIN STEM TO OPERATE NECESSARY BODILY FUNCTIONS. THE PHYSICIAN'S PRO K, PREPARING TO COVER IT WITH PLASTIC SO THAT THEY COULD SANDBLAST AND PAINT THE GNOSIS IS GRIM. THE CASUAL FACTOR WAS FOUND TO BE A CRACK IN THE EMERGENCY VENT ASSEMBLY AT THE TOP OF THE TANK. THE PAINTERS WERE NOT WARNED ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THE TANK AND ONLY KNEW THAT IT WAS POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE. THEY DID NOT HAVE RESP IRATORY EQUIPMENT WITH THEM AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE RESCUERS DIDN'T KNO W WHAT GAS THEY WERE DEALING WITH, BUT THEY DID HAVE PROPER RESCUE EQUIPMENT. AL THOUGH PROPERLY TRAINED, THE RESCUERS REMOVED THEIR SCBAS WHILE STILL IN THE DAN GER ZONE (TO PERFORM CPR). THEY SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE SCBAS ON UNTIL THEY WERE OU T OF THE DANGER ZONE. RAILS THAT IT RIDES UP AND DOWN ON. THE TANK WAS 25 FEET HIGH AND LOCATED ON TH E TOP OF A 5 STORY DIGESTER HOUSE. THEY HAD BEEN ON THE TANK FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 5 MINUTES WHEN EMPLOYEE #3 COLLAPSED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, EMPLOYEE #4 COLLASPED. EMPLOYEE #5 CALLED DOWN TO EMPLOYEE #6 AND EMPLOYEE #8 WHO WHO WERE WORKING ON THE ROOF LEVEL BELOW. THEY CAME UP THE LADDER AND EMPLOYEE #6 HELPED TO GET EMPL OYEE #5 OFF THE TANK. EMPLOYEE #8 WENT TO GET HELP. EMPLOYEES #1,#2,#9 AND OTHER S ARRIVED AT THE SCENE TO RESCUE THE INJURED PERSONS. EMPLOYEES #3 AND #4 WERE I

Victims (9)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 25 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    417
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    2

  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 40 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    417
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    2

  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 26 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #5 Hospitalized Age 31 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #6 Hospitalized Age 50 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #7 Hospitalized Age 58 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #8 Hospitalized Age 41 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #9 Hospitalized Age 34 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    417
    Human factor
    9
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1480
    Task assigned
    2

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