OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14397483
BURN,ACETYLENE TORCH,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,ACETYLENE,TORCH,EXPLOSION,ELEC UTILITY WORK,CUTTING AND BURNING
Event description
BURN - RESIDUAL FUEL IGNITED BY CUTTING TORCH
Investigation abstract
TWO EMPLOYEES WERE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT AN ELECTRIC POWER GENERATIO S BURNED OVER 86 PERCENT OF HIS BODY AND LATER DIED. THE SECOND EMPLOYEE RECEIVE D BURNS ON 10 TO 20 PERCENT OF HIS BODY. HE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR HIS INJURIES. N PLANT. THEY WERE REMOVING AND INSTALLING FUEL MIXING T'S, BUT THEY HAD NOT PUR GED THE FUEL LINE. THEY HAD ALREADY REMOVED THE PICKUP FUEL MIXING T'S. ONE OF T HE TWO EMPLOYEES WAS USING AN OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH TO CUT BOLTS HOLDING A FUEL TE E IN PLACE. THE WORK WAS BEING PERFORMED 10 TO 12 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND FLOOR. F IRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT WAS IN PLACE, AND THE CREW WAS TRAINED IN FIRE-FIGHTING T ECHNIQUES REQUIRED FOR THIS TASK. ALTHOUGH SAFETY BELTS AND LANYARDS WERE AVAILA BLE, THE EMPLOYEES WERE NOT USING THEM. AS THE LAST BOLT WAS CUT AND THE T SEPAR ATED FROM THE LINE, THE RESIDUE LIGNITE IGNITED. THE EMPLOYEE USING THE TORCH WA
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 549
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- C120
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 549
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- C120
- Task assigned
- 1
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