OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14265102
FURNACE,OXYGEN DEFICIENCY,RESPIRATORY,MAINTENANCE,UNCONSCIOUSNESS,CONFINED SPACE,INHALATION,FREON,RESPIRATOR
Event description
FREON 12 EXPOSURE IN FURNACE; DIED FROM PROBABLE LACK OF O2
Investigation abstract
A MAINTENANCE MECHANIC WAS LOWERED BY HOIST INTO A 9 1/2 FT HIGH VACUUM BATCH FU HE BOTTOM. THE FOREMAN WENT TO GET A PIECE OF GRAPHITE WOOL. WHEN HE RETURNED, A BOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, HE FOUND EMPLOYEE #1 UNCONSCIOUS IN THE FURNACE. THE FORE MAN YELLED FOR HELP. ANOTHER EMPLOYEE ENTERED THE FURNACE AND ASSISTED IN REMOVI NG EMPLOYEE #1. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD . ATMOSPHERIC TESTING IN THE FURNACE REVEALED THE FREON 12 LEVEL AS HIGH AS 16% AND THE OXYGEN LEVEL AS LOW AS 16%. THE CHARCOAL IN THE RESPIRATOR CARTRIDGE WAS ALSO SATURATED WITH FREON 12. THE AUTOPSY REPORT LISTED THE CAUSE OF DEATH AS A CUTE CARDIORESPIRATORY FAILURE DUE TO THE INHALATION OF FREON 12. RNACE TO MAKE REPAIRS. THE FURNACE HAD BEEN PRESSURIZED WITH FREON 12 AND NITROG EN TO TEST FOR LEAKS. THE EMPLOYEE (#1) WAS WEARING A CARTRIDGE RESPIRATOR FOR O RGANIC VAPORS. ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER HE REACHED THE BOTTOM HE SIGNALLED TO THE MA INTENANCE FOREMAN TO BE LIFTED FROM THE FURNACE. HE COMPLAINED TO THE FOREMAN OF A BURNING IN HIS THROAT AND LUNGS WHEN HE BREATHED. THE FURNACE WAS THEN EXHAUS T VENTILATED WITH A BLOWER. THE BLOWER HOSE, INSTEAD OF EXTENDING COMPLETELY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FURNACE, ONLY REACHED TO WITHIN 3 1/2 FEET OF THE BOTTOM. EMPL OYEE #1 REENTERED THE FURNACE TO INSPECT A HEAT SHIELD LOCATED 12 INCHES ABOVE T
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0871
- 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.