105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14353031

OXYGEN DEFICIENCY,ASPHYXIATED,CONFINED SPACE,RAILROAD TANK CAR,WORK RULES,NITROGEN,SCBA

Event
OXYGEN DEFICIENCY,ASPHYXIATED,CONFINED SPACE,RAILROAD TANK CAR,WORK RULES,NITROGEN,SCBA
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14353031
Report ID
418600

Event description

Two employees die of asphyxia in railroad tank car

Investigation abstract

Employee #1, a warehouse operator, dropped his safety glasses into the compartme er the tank air was tested and found to be at 14 percent oxygen. nt of a railroad tank car that was being filled with aerosol. The aerosol was bl own through a line by low pressure nitrogen gas. After Employee #1 notified cowo rkers and his supervisor, the material flow was turned off but not the gas. Wear ing a gas mask, Employee #1 entered the railcar through a manhole. He was overco me and fell to the bottom of the tank. Employee #2, his supervisor, entered the railcar in a rescue attempt but was also overcome. Two other employees wearing g as masks attempted an unsuccessful rescue. Coworkers who donned SCBA removed the two bodies. Neither Employee #1 nor Employee #2 could be revived. Two hours lat

Victims (2)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1900
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Fatality Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1900
    Task assigned
    1

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