OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14469829
ARMCO INCORPORATED
BUTLER, PA·
Event description
SPARK IGNITED LP GAS WHICH HAD LEAKED INTO A CABINET
Investigation abstract
APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ARMCO INC. THE CABINET EXPLODED. A SPARK FROM THE PIPE BURNING OPERATION WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE SOURCE OF IGNITION. STAINLESS STEEL PROCESSING WELD AND BURNING SHOP INSTALLED A NEW WELDING SYSTEM WHICH REPLACED ACETYLENE WITH LP GAS AS THE WELDING FUEL. THE LP GAS AND OXYGEN TANKS ARE ATTACHED TO A PORTABLE HAND HELD BURNING TORCH AND AN AUTOMATIC BURNI NG TORCH KNOWN AS A "BUG". THIS MEANS THAT WHEN THE HAND HELD TORCH IS USED LP G AS AND OXYGEN WENT TO THE BUG BURNER AS WELL. THE BUG AND HOSE WERE KEPT IN A CA BINET WHICH WAS RELATIVELY AIR TIGHT. A LEAK SOMEWHERE IN THE BUG OR HOSE CAUSED THE ACCUMULATION OF LP GAS IN THE CABINET. EMPLOYEE #1, WHO WAS BURNING A PIPE WITH THE HAND HELD TORCH, WAS KILLED WHEN LP GAS IN THE CABINET WAS IGNITED AND
Victims (3)
-
#1 Fatality Age 57 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 45 M
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 17
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 45 M
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 12
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 5
- 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.