OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14394183
LUNG,MECHANIC,CHLORINE,EXPLOSION,PUMP,ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE
Event description
SEVEN EMPLOYEES EXPOSED TO CHLORINE FROM FEED PUMP EXPLOSION
Investigation abstract
On August 2, 1988 seven employees were working at their respective job assignmen as working in the packaging building west of the unit. An explosion occurred in the generation room of the 113/114 unit, apparently resulting from a chemical re action between chlorine and hydraulic oil at the G-113 chorine feed pump, a Durc o Meter PD #2, plunger/diaphragm metering pump. Failure of one diaphragm and cra cks in the other due to wear resulted in the mingling of oil and chlorine betwee n the discharge side of the chlorine pump and the pressure side. Apparently a bl ow out of a pipe segment and four valves occurred there. Seven employees were ho spitalized and diagnosed as having been exposed to chlorine. Employee #2 experie nced bronchospasms and coughing. Employee #6 had bronchospasms and a burning sen sation in the lungs complicated by a previous medical condition. Employee #5 had ts throughout the Allied Signal Corporation - South Works generation 113/114 uni conjunctivitis. Employees #1, #3, #4 and #7 were hospitalized for observation. No pulmonary edema or pneumonia was evident in any exposed employee. t. Employee #1 was working at Reactor #2 on the fourth deck taking pipe down, we st of Reactor #1. Employee #2 was attending a first aid training course in the a dministration building, located northeast of the process area. Employee #3 was l oading drums in the packaging building located west of the unit. Employee #4 was cutting out pipe on the 3rd floor of Reactor #2. Employee #5 was working in the control room immediately north of the process units bringing up reactors. Emplo yee #6 was near the mobile equipment shop riding an electric cart. Employee #7 w
Victims (7)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 36 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 547
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 547
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 754
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 51 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 547
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 51 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 699
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 52 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 558
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 36 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 754
- Human factor
- 19
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- 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.