OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14423032
BURN,MAINTENANCE,CONFINED SPACE,WORK RULES,HOT WATER
Event description
EMPLOYEES BURNED BY HOT BRINE WHILE IN A CONFINED SPACE
Investigation abstract
AT 10:20 AM ON MARCH 4, 1987, EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE INSIDE A SWINSON EVAPORAT OR U-TUBE INSPECTING, ASSESSING AND REMOVING CERAMIC LINING. THE U-TUBE IS A CON FINED SPACE MEASURING 40 INCHES IN DIAMETER, 9 1/2 FEET LONG, WITH A 20 INCH DIA METER OPENING FOR ENTRY/EGRESS. HOT SALT BRINE ENTERED THE U-TUBE, RESULTING IN 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO EMPLOYEE #1 AND #2. EMPLOYEE #3 ASSISTED IN THE RESCUE OF EM PLOYEE #2 AND RECEIVED 2ND DEGREE BURNS FROM THE HOT SALT BRINE POURING OUT OF T HE U-TUBE OPENING. THE OUTSIDE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT. THE APP ARENT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT ISOLATING THE CONFINED SPACE FROM THE HOT BR INE LINES.
Victims (3)
-
#1 Fatality Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 13
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 13
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 38 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 16
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 13
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 2
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.