105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14454037

GUARDRAIL,VACUUM CLEANER,WORK RULES,CLEANING,DRYING FURNACE,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,ARTERY

Event
GUARDRAIL,VACUUM CLEANER,WORK RULES,CLEANING,DRYING FURNACE,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,ARTERY
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14454037
Report ID
751910

Event description

Employee dies after falling from dryer

Investigation abstract

Employee #1 and a coworker were using a vacuum with a wand and brush attachment to clean the top of a cornstarch dryer and the pipes above it. The 135 ft long b y 14 ft 3 in. wide dryer had several pipes, ducts, and beams where cornstarch du st collected, creating the potential for an explosion in the case of fire. Emplo yee #1 had started cleaning at the east end of the dryer and the coworker at the west end when Employee #1 fell 19 ft 4 1/2 in. off the dryer to the concrete fl oor. He sustained a lacerated aorta and died about 4 hours later.

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 52 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    5
    Event type
    5
    Source
    5
    Occupation code
    453
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    13
    Task assigned
    1

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