OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14446330
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
CHAPEL HILL, NC·
Event description
5 EMPLOYEES EXPOSED TO THIONYL CHLORIDE VAPORS
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEE #1 WAS DISPOSING OF PACKING MATERIAL BEHIND A SHELF UPON WHICH HE HAD P LOYEES #2,3,4,5 EXPERIENCED MINOR ITCHING AND REDNESS AT THE EXPOSED AREAS OF TH EIR NECKS. THIS APPARENTLY WAS AS A RESULT OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID VAPORS COMBINING WITH THE WATER IN THEIR SWEAT TO FORM HYDROCHLORIC ACID. THEY WERE TAKEN, ALONG WITH EMPLOYEE #1, TO MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, TREATED FOR MINOR CHEMICAL BURNS (LONG SHOWER), AND RELEASED. LACED A 500 ML GLASS BOTTLE OF THIONYL CHLORIDE. THE BOTTLE WAS KNOCKED LOOSE, F ELL TO THE FLOOR AND BROKE OPEN. EMPLOYEE #1 LEFT THE AREA, BUT ON HIS SUPERVISO R'S ADVICE RETURNED TO APPLY SODIUM BICARBONITE TO THE SPILL. NO SAFETY EQUIPMEN T WAS WORN ON HIS RETURN TO THE AREA. EMPLOYEE #1 THEN EXPERIENCED SOME DIFFICUL TY IN BREATHING. A CALL WAS THEN PLACED TO THE CAMPUS POLICE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDING. EMPLOYEES #2,3,4,5 ENTERED THE BUILDING TO EVACUATE ALL PERSONNEL. THEY WERE DRESSED IN FULL TURNOUT GEAR AS REQUIRED BY TH E FISHER MSDS. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE SPILL CLEAN-UP AND SECURING THE AREA, EMP
Victims (5)
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 61 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 365
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 37 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 20
- Event type
- 10
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 417
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 43 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 20
- Event type
- 10
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 417
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 20
- Event type
- 10
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 417
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Non-hospitalized injury Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 20
- Event type
- 10
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 417
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 7
- 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.