OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14454003
LEMARS TRANSPORT INC.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA·
Event description
One killed, four injured in tank truck explosion
Investigation abstract
At 7:00 a.m., Employee #1 arrived at work and was told by his supervisor to fix screws from the housing around the O-rings, finding that the screws were possibl y frozen or rusty. He tried using lubricating oil and tapping on the housing but to no avail. He then got an oxyacetylene torch and proceeded to heat the Allen screws. He had removed one and was beginning to heat another when he heard air r ushing up the valve. There was an explosion and Employee #1 was knocked to the f loor and killed. Employees #2 through #5 were hospitalized. a hose on a trailer. He fixed it and was then told to take tanker trailer #33 in to the garage and replace the leaking O-rings on valves #1 through #3. This trai ler , which was used primarily to haul flammables or combustibles, had four sepa rate compartments and a vapor recovery system. The trailer had been unloaded the day before and was considered empty, but when Employee #1 opened the valves, ab out a cup of liquid ran out of valve #3. Employee #1's supervisor informed him t hat methyl ethyl ketone had been in one of the compartments but did not tell him what had been in the others. Employee #1 had difficulty removing the six Allen
Victims (5)
-
#1 Fatality Age 66 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 1
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 507
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 1750
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 20 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 1
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 507
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 1750
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 10
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 507
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 1750
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 58 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 3
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 804
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 1750
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 3
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 804
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 1750
- Task assigned
- 1
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