OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14214027
LEAK,EXPLOSION,ETHYLENE OXIDE,PROPANE,GASOLINE,CONSTRUCTION
Event description
One employee killed, others injured when unit explodes
Investigation abstract
This accident occurred in the sterilization area where two 45 ft long by 4 ft 10 was in a cylinder on a forklift. Neither is considered to have caused the explo sion. A small leak was found between the MAPP cylinder and the regulator, but it was not considered to have been large enough to have caused the explosion. The explosion apparently was caused by the ETO that was still in unit #2 and which i gnited when unit #2 was opened. in. wide by 6 ft 6 in. high sterilization units were situated side by side. The construction crews were replacing a door on the unloading end of unit #1, using a torch powered by MAPP (methylacetylene propadiene) gas. Grinding was also bei ng done. A few seconds after the door on unit #2 was opened an explosion occurre d at unit #2. Several employees were directly in front of or near the exploding unit. Other employees were at unit #1. Employees #1 through #7 sustained burns a nd/or other injuries. Employee #8 died. The fuel sources were ethylene oxide (ET O), MAPP, propane, and gasoline. The gasoline was in a small can and the propane
Victims (8)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 59
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 26 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 59
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 26 M
- Nature of injury
- 20
- Part of body
- 3
- Event type
- 4
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 599
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 38 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 599
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 558
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 58 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 228
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 585
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#8 Fatality Age 43 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 585
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1190
- 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.