OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14385157
FUMIGANT,INHALATION,DIZZINESS,PESTICIDE,RESPIRATOR,VENTILATION,HEADACHE,NAUSEA,PHOSPHINE GAS,TRAILER
Event description
EXPOSURE TO FUMIGANT CONTAINING PHOSHINE GAS
Investigation abstract
A SEMI-TRAILER LOADED WITH WHEAT BRAN WAS BEING FUMIGATED WITH A TIMED- RELEASE R WORK ON MAY 13,1985. THE PARTIALLY SPENT CONTAINER OF PHOSPHINE HAD BEEN LEFT IN A WASTE CONTAINER ON A LOADING DOCK AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE TRAILER. NO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WAS AVALIABLE TO, OR USED BY, ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES WHEN OPENING OR UNLOADING THE TRAILER. NO AIR SAMPLING WAS DONE UNTIL MAY 13, 1 985. NO VENTILATION OF ANY KIND WAS ATTEMPTED. ALL EIGHT EMPLOYEES WERE HOSPITAL IZED FOR 72 HOURS FOR OBSERVATION. SYMPTOMS EXPERIENCED BY THE EMPLOYEES INCLUDE D: HEADACHE, NAUSEA, WEAKNESS, DIZZINESS, THROAT IRRITATION, COUGHING, CHEST PAI N AND MENTAL CONFUSION. CANNISTER CONTAINING "DETIA GAS EX-B" (PHOSPHINE GAS). THE GAS WAS SUPPOSED TO R EMAIN IN THE TRAILER FOR 72 HOURS BEFORE THE FUMIGANT WAS REMOVED AND THE TRAILE R RELEASED FOR UNLOADING. THE PESTICIDE CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR FUMIGATING WA S COVERED BY INSPECTION #3245288. EMPLOYEES #2 AND 5 (EMPLOYED BY THE WAREHOUSE COMPANY COVERED BY INSPECTION #2219723) OPENED THE TRAILER EARLIER THAN SCHEDULE D AND EXPOSED THEMSELVES AND OTHER EMPLOYEES WORKING IN THE VICINITY TO THE STIL L-PRESENT PHOSPHINE GAS. EMPLOYESS #1, #2, & #5 WERE PRESENT WHEN THE TRAILER WA S OPENED ON MAY 11, 1985. THE REMAINING EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED UPON REPORTING FO
Victims (9)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 56 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 48 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 38 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#8 Hospitalized Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
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.