OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14241236
BURN,ALCOHOL,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,WORK RULES,ACETONE,NAPHTHA,EXPLOSION,WASHING MACHINE,CHEMICAL
Event description
4 INJURED IN EXPLOSION OF CHEMICAL SOAKED RAGS IN A WASHER
Investigation abstract
ON OCTOBER 27, 1987, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WASHING AND DRYING CHEMICAL SOAKED WIPE-DOW N RAGS. SHE WAS SORTING THE RAGS, CONTAMINATED WITH CHEMICALS SUCH AS ACETONE, N APTHA, GROW SOLVENT 26D, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL AND ISOPHROPHYL ANDYDROUS ALCOHOL, IN TO PILES. WHEN EMPLOYEE #1 PUT A LOAD OF RAGS INTO THE WASHER, THE FLAMMABLE VAP ORS FROM THE RAGS EXPLODED, BURNING EMPLOYEES #1 THROUGH #4. THE EQUIPMENT BEING USED WAS NOT EXPLOSION PROOF OR INTRINSICALLY SAFE.
Victims (4)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 31 F
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 785
- Human factor
- 6
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1560
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 2
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 785
- Human factor
- 6
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1560
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 39 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 12
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 785
- Human factor
- 6
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1560
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 38 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 12
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 523
- Human factor
- 6
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1560
- Task assigned
- 2
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.