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 #14500409

LEAK,FRACTURE,CYLINDER,TEST EQUIPMENT,BOLT,CONCUSSION,TANK

Event
LEAK,FRACTURE,CYLINDER,TEST EQUIPMENT,BOLT,CONCUSSION,TANK
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14500409
Report ID
523400

Event description

TWO EMPLOYEES INJURED IN TANK INTERNAL PRESSURE EXPLOSION

Investigation abstract

On March 6, 1990, Employee #2 was doing a leak testing of a horizontally mounted cylinder of a vacuum tank with pneumatic pressure. The vacuum tank was three fe et in diameter by five feet in length. Employee #2 was straddling the tank top w hich was eight feet above the floor. Employee #2 was applying a soap water solut ion to detect leaks and then tighten the bolts on inlet and outlet flanges, as n ecessary. The end convex cover, held in place by the grade number five bolts (8. 375 in. by 2.5 in., U.S.A. made, Global h=(h) brand), blew off traveling 41 ft a nd 6 in. Employee was hospitalized with a fracture.

Victims (2)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 62 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    13
    Event type
    1
    Source
    2
    Occupation code
    783
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    15
    Hazardous substance
    8420
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 29 M

    Nature of injury
    6
    Part of body
    13
    Event type
    5
    Source
    2
    Occupation code
    783
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    15
    Hazardous substance
    8420
    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.