OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14299382
FIRE,INHALATION,DEGREASER,CHEMICAL VAPOR,TOXIC FUMES
Event description
INHALATION OF CHEMICAL VAPORS
Investigation abstract
WHEN THE EMPLOYEES ARRIVED AT THE WORKSITE ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 18, 1985, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DEFLEXER 4 OUNCE DEGREASER HAD CAUGHT FIRE DURING TH E PREVIOUS NIGHT. THE DEGREASER WAS CUSTOMARILY LEFT ON DURING THE NIGHT. THE EL ECTRIC MOTOR HAD APPARENTLY SHORTED OUT. ALTHOUGH THE BUILDING WAS IMMEDIATELY A IRED OUT, ONE EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYEE #1, EXPERIENCED SOME DISCOMFORT. SHE APPARENTLY SUFFERED FROM SOME PREVIOUS RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. SHE WAS SENT TO THE HOSPITAL AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. MANAGEMENT SOLVED THE PROBLEM BY PURCHASING A NEW DE GREASER WITH HIGH AND LOW SOLVENT SENSORS, AND BY TURNING OFF THE DEGREASER AT N IGHT.
Victim
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 49 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- 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.