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 #14225163

RESPIRATORY,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,FIRE,SMOKE,SMOKE INHALATION

Event
RESPIRATORY,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,FIRE,SMOKE,SMOKE INHALATION
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14225163
Report ID
355110

Event description

EMPLOYEES INHALED SMOKE FROM PETROLEUM ETHER FIRE

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEE #6 WAS PERFORMING FINISH EXTRACTIONS ON YARN. THIS OPERATION CONSISTS O E TO THE LABORATORY IMMEDIATELY TO DEAL WITH THE EMERGENCY. MEANWHILE, EMPLOYEE #8 FOUND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. EMPLOYEE #4 TOOK THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM EMPLOY EE #8 AND EXTINGUISHED THE FUME HOOD FIRE. THE FIRE MELTED THE PLEXIGLASS OF THE FUME HOOD, AND THE FAN MOTOR WOULD NOT OPERATE AFTER THE FIRE. THE LAMP IN THE FUME HOOD WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS A BEAKER CONTAINING APPROXMATELY 50 MILLILITERS OF UNBURNED PETROLUEM ETHER SITTING BESIDE THE HOT PLATE. THE HEAT APPARENTLY CA USED THE PLEXIGLASS DOOR TO BULGE OUTWARD IN THE AREA ABOVE THE HOT PLATE. THE P ROTECTIVE COVER FOR THE LAMP INSIDE THE FUME HOOD WAS MISSING. ALL 8 EMPLOYEES W ERE HOSPITALIZED FOR SMOKE INHALATION. F DIPPING THE YARN INTO A WARM SOLUTION OF PETROLEUM ETHER, THEN EVAPORATING THE ETHER FROM THE YARN. A CORNING PC-100RC SERIES LABORATORY HOT PLATE WAS USED. A T APPROXIMATELY 7 PM ON MAY 22, 1987, EMPLOYEE #6 WAS EVAPORATING THE SECOND SET OF FOUR SIMULTANEOUS EXTRACTIONS, AND WAS STANDING NEAR THE SINK BESIDE THE FUM E HOOD. THE HOOD FAN AND FUME HOOD LIGHTS WERE ON. THE FUME HOOD DOOR WAS PULLED DOWN ABOUT HALFWAY. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A POP, AND THE MATERIAL INSIDE T HE FUME HOOD CAUGHT FIRE. EMPLOYEE #6 AND EMPLOYEE #3 LEFT THE LABORATORY IMMEDI ATELY AND INFORMED EMPLOYEE #8 OF THE FIRE. EMPLOYEE #3 PAGED EMPLOYEE #5 TO COM

Victims (8)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    37
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 39 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    37
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 42 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    37
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    37
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #5 Hospitalized Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    738
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #6 Hospitalized Age 48 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    738
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #7 Hospitalized Age 59 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #8 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    9
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1

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