Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
105,991Records 70,589Employers 85,836Hospitalizations 27,959Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-11-30

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14241905

MAC'S PLATING WORKS

Event
LEAK, HYDROCHLORIC ACID, CAUSTIC, PPE, WORK RULES, EXPLOSION, CHEMICAL REACTION, CHEMICAL BURN, CHEMICAL
NAICS
000000
Inspection type
Referral
Activity number
#106645757
Employer profile
MAC'S PLATING WORKS
Summary number
14241905
Report ID
627700

Event description

Two employees burned in chemical explosion

Investigation abstract

On May 23, 1989, Employee #1, the manager, and Employee #2, a worker, were using an up the spill. an alkaline powdered soap cleaner to neutralize and dilute a hydrochloric acid solution that had leaked from a 1,500 gal storage tank located behind a plating shop. The spill had been contained by a diked area under the storage tank. When the employees added caustic soda beads to the acid solution, a violent explosion occurred. Both employees were burned by the acid. Employee #1 sustained second- and third-degree burns above his waist, and Employee #2 sustained burns to his arm. Neither employee was wearing personal protective equipment. The material sa fety data sheets on site had not been consulted to determine how to properly cle

Victims (2)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 19 Male

    Nature of injury
    Burn(Chemical) (4)
    Part of body
    MULTIPLE (19)
    Accident type
    STRUCK BY (1)
    Source of injury
    CHEM LIQUIDS/VAPORS (9)
    Occupation
    Occupation not reported (999)
    Human factor
    INSUF/LACK/PROTCV WRK CLTHG/EQUIP (20)
    Environmental factor
    CHEMICAL ACTION/REACTION EXPOS (9)
    Hazardous substance
    1430
    Task assigned
    Task not regularly assigned (2)
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 58 Male

    Nature of injury
    Burn(Chemical) (4)
    Part of body
    ARM-MULT (2)
    Accident type
    STRUCK BY (1)
    Source of injury
    CHEM LIQUIDS/VAPORS (9)
    Occupation
    Occupation not reported (999)
    Human factor
    INSUF/LACK/PROTCV WRK CLTHG/EQUIP (20)
    Environmental factor
    CHEMICAL ACTION/REACTION EXPOS (9)
    Hazardous substance
    1430
    Task assigned
    Task not regularly assigned (2)

Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.