OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14301576
ABQ, CITY OF
ALBUQUERQUE, NM·
Event description
Three employees injured in natural gas explosion
Investigation abstract
At approximately 4:00 p.m. on November 21, 1988, Employees #1 and #2 were purgin as without their knowledge. Later tests confirmed that there was no mercaptar mi xed with the gas. g air from a 3/4 in. natural gas line that had just been pressure tested with ai r. They were waiting for the smell of mercaptar to signal the presence of gas, w hich would indicate that the air had been drained from the line. When they did n ot smell the mercaptar they turned off the gas line. Employee #2 had lit a match and was about to reopen the valve slightly to see if he could produce a flame w hen there was a bright flash and an explosion. Employees #1 and #2 were burned. Employee #3 was in the next room and was struck by flying debris. All three empl oyees were hospitalized. Apparently, the room had been filling up with natural g
Victims (3)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 45 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 519
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Hazardous substance
- 8420
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 50 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 503
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Hazardous substance
- 8420
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 55 M
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 17
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 213
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Hazardous substance
- 8420
- Task assigned
- 2
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