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 #14498182

BURN,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,FIRE,CONSTRUCTION,RUPTURE,PUMP

Event
BURN,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,FIRE,CONSTRUCTION,RUPTURE,PUMP
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14498182
Report ID
626600

Event description

ETHYLENE VAPOR CLOUD IGNITED, BURNING EMPLOYEES

Investigation abstract

A HIGH PRESSURE ETHYLENE PUMP DEVELOPED AN OVERHEATED BEARING. WHILE THE EMPLOYE ES WERE TRYING TO SHUT DOWN THE PUMP, ONE OF THE MECHANICAL SEALS BLEW OUT. A LA RGE AMOUNT OF LIQUID ETHYLENE WAS RELEASED, FORMING A VAPOR CLOUD. STEAM WAS PUT ON THE LEAK IN AN EFFORT TO DISSIPATE THE ETHYLENE AND EFFORTS BEGUN TO SHUT OF F FLOW OF ETHYLENE TO THE PUMP. THE CLOUD SUDDENLY IGNITED, BURNING THE NEARBY E MPLOYEES.

Victims (8)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 55 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    9
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 48 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    9
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 57 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 52 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  5. #5 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  6. #6 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  7. #7 Hospitalized Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  8. #8 Non-hospitalized injury Age 29 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    1
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    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.