OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14464291
FURNACE,OXYGEN DEFICIENCY,RESPIRATORY,MAINTENANCE,ASPHYXIATED,CONFINED SPACE,AIR MONITORING,ARGON
Event description
ASPHYXIATED IN CONFINED SPACE (FURNACE)
Investigation abstract
ON MARCH 31, 1986, AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM, EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 ENTERED A BASIC ACE TO GET OUT. EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AT 6:10 PM. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR OXYGEN DEPRIVATION. OXYGEN PROCESS (BOP) FURNACE, LOCATED IN THE #1 BOP SHOP, TO REMOVE A "RELINE T OWER. THE RELINE TOWER HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE FURNACE 5 DAYS EARLIER, FOR USE BY THE MASON WHO WAS RELINING THE FURNACE. EMPLOYEES. #1 AND #2 WERE IMMEDIATELY O VERCOME. AN OXYGEN DEFICIENCY HAD DEVELOPED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FURNACE BECAUSE ARGON GAS HAD BEEN LEAKING INTO THE FURNACE, DISPLACING THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE B OTTOM OF THE FURNACE AT THE RATE OF 1,300 CUBIC FEET PER HOUR. AT 5:30 PM, EMPLO YEES #3 AND #4 DESCENDED INTO THE FURNACE BY LADDER. EMPLOYEE #3 REACHED THE BOT TOM AND PASSED OUT. EMPLOYEE #4 WAS WARNED BY AN EMPLOYEE AT THE TOP OF THE FURN
Victims (4)
-
#1 Fatality Age 52 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 717
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0240
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Fatality Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 717
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0240
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 717
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0240
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 25
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 717
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0240
- 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.