104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14481345

OXYGEN DEFICIENCY,RESPIRATORY,VENTILATION,CONFINED SPACE,FRAC TANK,OIL WELL DRILLING,TOXIC ATMOSPHERE,NATURAL GAS,DROWN,RESPIRATOR

Event
OXYGEN DEFICIENCY,RESPIRATORY,VENTILATION,CONFINED SPACE,FRAC TANK,OIL WELL DRILLING,TOXIC ATMOSPHERE,NATURAL GAS,DROWN,RESPIRATOR
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14481345
Report ID
316400

Event description

EMPLOYEES ENTERED FRAC TANK (CONFINED SPACE) AT DRILL SITE

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEE #3 ENTERED A FRAC TANK AT THE DRILLING SITE TO GET A KELLY HOSE. EMPLOY EE #2 WAS WAITING AT THE ENTRANCE ON TOP OF THE TANK. HE SAW EMPLOYEE #3 COLLAPS E. HE CALLED FOR HELP, THEN ENTERED THE TANK. EMPLOYEES #1 AND #4 WERE AT THE WE LLHEAD. THEY RESPONDED BY ALSO ENTERING THE TANK. THE TANK HAD ABOUT 2 FEET OF W ATER LEFT IN THE BOTTOM. BY THE TIME THE TANK HAD BEEN DRAINED AND THE EMPLOYEES REMOVED, EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 HAD DROWNED. EMPLOYEES #3 AND #4 WERE HOSPITALIZED WITH VARIOUS SYMPTOMS, ATTRIBUTED TO OXYGEN DEFICIENCY AND EXPOSURE TO NATURAL GAS. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES ENTERED A CONFINED SPACE WITHOU T TESTING THE ATMOSPHERE OR WEARING THE PROPER RESPIRATORY PROTECTION.

Victims (4)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 26 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    8110
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Fatality Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    16
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    8110
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 25 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    16
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    8110
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 24 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    16
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    8110
    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.