OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14265011
SWAN FINISHING COMPANY INC
FALL RIVER, MA—
Event description
SULFURIC ACID REACTION CREATED HYDROGEN GAS EXPLOSION.
Investigation abstract
ON MAY 23, 1984 BETWEEN 8:50 AND 8:55 PM, EMPLOYEE #1, A DYE BEAM OPERATOR, WAS DRAWING CONCENTRATED (66 BAUME') SULFURIC ACID INTO A PLASTIC PAIL. HE ADDED TO THIS PAIL THE CONTENTS OF A "DRIP PAIL" WHICH HAD BEEN LOCATED UNDER THE 55 GALL ON ACID DRUM. THE PAIL STARTED "SMOKING" AND EXPLODED A FEW SECONDS LATER, SENDI NG A PLUME OF ACID TO THE CEILING ABOUT 20 FT. UP. THREE OTHER NEARBY EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYEE #1 RECEIVED SKIN BURNS WHEN THE ACID RAINED DOWN UPON THEM. A FOURT H, FURTHER AWAY, WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE HIS EAR PLUGS REMOVED.
Victims (5)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 53 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 40 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 34 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 6
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 47
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Hazardous substance
- 8130
- 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.