104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14339964

VENTILATION,INHALATION,NAUSEA,DIZZINESS,CARBON MONOXIDE,HOTEL

Event
VENTILATION,INHALATION,NAUSEA,DIZZINESS,CARBON MONOXIDE,HOTEL
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14339964
Report ID
453710

Event description

INHALATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE FROM UNKNOWN SOURCE

Investigation abstract

ON JANUARY 16, 1985, THE FRONT DESK CLERK (EMPLOYEE #10) EXPERIENCED DIZZINESS A OUT 7 PM THE RESCUE SQUAD WAS CALLED. THE BELLHOP (EMPLOYEE #11) AND TWO OTHER E MPLOYEES IN THE LOUNGE (EMPLOYEES #8 AND 9) THEN BECAME ILL. ALL THE EMPLOYEES W ERE TRANSPORTED TO EITHER BAPTIST HOSPITAL OR TO FORSYTHE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. EME RGENCY PERSONNEL THEN EVACUATED THE HOSPITAL. FIVE OF THE EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AN D THREE OF THE HOTEL GUESTS ALSO HAD TO BE TREATED AT THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED. EMPLOYEES #1-4 HAD TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM BAPTIST HOSPITAL TO DUKE UNIVERSITY T O BE TREATED IN DUKE'S HYPERBOLIC CHAMBER. EMPLOYEES #5-7 WERE TREATED AND RETAI NED AT FORSYTHE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. THE REMAINING FOUR HOTEL EMPLOYEES WERE TREAT ED AT THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED. THE COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AND OTHER EME RGENCY PERSONNEL COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE CARBON MONOXIDE. THE HOTEL MAN ND NAUSEA. SHE WAS ALLOWED TO LIE DOWN AND REST IN ROOM 207. SHE RETURNED TO WOR AGEMENT HIRED A CONSULTANT (RESEARCH ENGINEERS) TO INVESTIGATE. THEY ALSO WERE U NABLE TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE. IT HAS BEEN THEORIZED THAT THE CARBON MONOXIDE WAS DRAWN INTO THE HOTEL'S VENTILATION SYSTEM FROM OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. THE HOTEL PLANS TO INSTALL MONITORS AND TO CORRECT ANY FLAWS IN THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. K AT 6:30 PM, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED. THE OTHER DESK CLERK AND THE SALES MANAGER THEN BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THE SALES MANA GER HAD BEEN IN A CLOSED OFFICE BEFORE HE RELIEVED EMPLOYEE #10 (WHEN SHE WENT T O REST). THE LOUNGE AND FOOD SERVICE MANAGER (EMPLOYEE #2) HAD BEEN IN THE LOBBY AREA AND IN AN ENTRANCEWAY TO THE LOUNGE (JUST OFF THE LOBBY). THE NEXT EMPLOYE E TO GET SICK WAS A WAITRESS (EMPLOYEE #4) WHO HAD SPENT SOME TIME IN THE LOBBY. THEN SOME OTHER MEMBERS OF THE KITCHEN STAFF BECAME ILL (EMPLOYEES #5-7). AT AB

Victims (11)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    323
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #10 Non-hospitalized injury Age 46 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    317
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #11 Non-hospitalized injury Age 19 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    466
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #2 Hospitalized Age 47 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    433
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #3 Hospitalized Age 28 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    317
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #4 Hospitalized Age 26 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    435
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #5 Hospitalized Age 46 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    436
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #6 Hospitalized Age 28 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    444
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #7 Hospitalized Age 55 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    435
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  10. #8 Non-hospitalized injury Age 28 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    435
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1

  11. #9 Non-hospitalized injury Age 33 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    434
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    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.

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