OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14377865
THRALL CAR MANUFACTURING CO.
CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL·
Event description
Employee Killed Welding on a Confined Space
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 was welding a hatch cover on top of a nuclear well car filled with e xplosive paint vapors. The welding arcs ignited the vapors, blowing Employee #1 into the roof of the building. He died from injuries sustained in the explosion. The area was not designated as a welding area, and no safe welding procedures w ere in place. Further, no means were taken to purge or ventilate the vessel.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 47 Male
- Nature of injury
- Other (21)
- Part of body
- MULTIPLE (19)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- OTHER (43)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- MALFUNC IN SECURING/WARNING OP (4)
- Environmental factor
- OVERPRESSURE/UNDERPRESSURE (15)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.