OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14254841
STOWE-PHARR MILLS
MCADENVILLE, NC·
Event description
ONE EMPLOYEE KILLED, ONE INJURED; PLASTIC VESSEL EXPLODED
Investigation abstract
THREE EMPLOYEES WERE INSTRUCTED TO START UP A TORNADO SPRAY SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM I MPARTS AN ANTI-STAT SOLUTION TO SYNTHETIC FIBERS AT THE C & K BLENDING LINE IN T HE FIBER MILL PLANT. THE TORNADO SPRAY SYSTEM INCORPORATES A 120 GALLON CAPACITY FIBERGLASS PLASTIC TANK USED AS A HYDRO-PNEUMATIC PRESSURE VESSEL. AFTER FILLIN G THE TANK WITH ABOUT 33 TO 35 GALLONS OF THE ANTI-STAT AND WATER SOLUTION, ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES BEGAN INJECTING AIR INTO THE TANK. HE INADVERTENTLY OVERPRESSUR EIZED THE TANK, CAUSING IT TO EXPLODE. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS KILLED WHEN HE WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD BY FLYING PIECES OF THE TANK. EMPLOYEE #2 SUFFERD A FRACTURED RIB. THE THIRD EMPLOYEE AND ANOTHER NEARBY WORKER WERE NOT INJURED.
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 23 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 2
- Occupation code
- 749
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Hazardous substance
- 8410
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 5
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 2
- Occupation code
- 749
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Hazardous substance
- 8410
- 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.