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 #14393359

FLAMMABLE VAPORS,GASOLINE,BURN,FIRE,WELDER,WELDING,ARC WELDING

Event
FLAMMABLE VAPORS,GASOLINE,BURN,FIRE,WELDER,WELDING,ARC WELDING
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14393359
Report ID
625700

Event description

ARC WELDER IGNITED GASOLINE FUMES IN PIPE

Investigation abstract

ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1985, AT APPROXIMATELY 1 PM, A FIRE BROKE OUT AT THE REAR OF TH T. E MOBIL OIL DOCKS FACILITY IN MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA. TWO CONTRACT WORKERS FOR A PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE COMPANY WERE WELDING ON A SIX INCH FLANGE AND PIPE WHI CH PROTRUDED FROM THE GROUND. THE PIPE AND FLANGE WERE PART OF AN OLD AIR ELIMIN ATION PRODUCTS LINE SYSTEM. THE FLANGE AND PIPE HAD LAST CONTAINED GASOLINE. THE WELDERS INSERTED A PLUMBERS PIPE PLUG INTO THE PIPE TO PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF IGNITING THE GAS VAPORS. HOWEVER, THE ARC FROM THE WELDER APPARENTLY IGNITED SOME GASOLINE VAPORS WHICH HAD SOMEHOW ACCUMULATED. EMPLOYEES #2 AND #3 WERE BUR NT BY THE INITIAL FLASH. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS BURNED WHEN HE TRIED TO PUT THE FIRE OU

Victims (3)

  1. #1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 52 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    12
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1340
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1340
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 23 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    35
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1340
    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.