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 #14506521

EYE,AIR CONDITIONER,INHALATION,FREON,DIZZINESS,RESPIRATOR

Event
EYE,AIR CONDITIONER,INHALATION,FREON,DIZZINESS,RESPIRATOR
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14506521
Report ID
830500

Event description

EXPOSURE TO UNKNOWN AIR CONTAMINANT

Investigation abstract

ON JUNE 15, 1984, AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM, EMPLOYEES #1, 2 & 3 WERE VERIFYING B ITAL. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE PARAMEDICS WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE C AUSE OF THE EMPLOYEES' SYMPTOMS. THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM DID NOT PERFORM ANY LAB WORK (SUCH AS AN ANALYSIS OF THE PATIENT'S BLOOD OR EXHALED BREATH) WHICH M IGHT HAVE IDENTIFIED THE AIR CONTAMINANT. ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE RELEASED FRO M THE HOSPITAL THAT NIGHT. SUBSEQUENT AIR MONITORING CONDUCTED BY OSHA REVEALED LOW LEVELS OF 1,1,2 TRICHLORO-122 TRI FLUOROETHANE (FREON 113) LEAKING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. ALL POSSIBLE SOURCES OF AIR CONTAMINATION WERE INVESTIG ATED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. A DEFINITE CAUSE WAS NEVER DETERMIN ED FOR THE EMPLOYEES SENT TO THE HOSPITAL. THE LEAKING AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM C OULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT. THE AIR CONDITIONER COULD ANK DEPOSITS IN THE SECURED BANK VAULT. THESE THREE EMPLOYEES SUDDENLY EXPERIENC HAVE LEAKED BADLY FOR A SHORT TIME AND THEN SOMEHOW BECAME RESEALED. A WEEK LAT ER NONE OF THE BANK EMPLOYEES SEEMED TO HAVE ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM THEIR EXPO SURE. ED EYE IRRITATION, DIZZINESS, AND LIGHT HEADEDNESS. AT APPROXIMATELY 5 PM PARAME DICS ARRIVED AT THE BANK AND PERFORMED SUCH FIRST AID PROCEDURES AS ADMINISTERIN G OXYGEN, CHECKING BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE AND GIVING EKG'S. 22 OTHER BANK EMPL OYEES EXPERIENCED EITHER MILD SYMPTOMS OR NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL. A FEW EMPLOYEES RE TURNED TO THE VAULT WITHIN A HALF HOUR OF THE INCIDENT (TO SECURE THE DEPOSITS) AND EXPERIENCED NO ADVERSE EFFECTS. AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE ALL THE EMPLOYEES WORKING IN THE AFFECTED AREA WERE TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF THE LOCAL HOSP

Victims (25)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 23 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #10 Hospitalized Age 44 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #11 Hospitalized Age 20 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #12 Hospitalized Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #13 Hospitalized Age 28 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #14 Hospitalized Age 19 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #15 Hospitalized Age 32 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    12
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #16 Hospitalized Age 23 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    12
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #17 Hospitalized Age 27 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  10. #18 Hospitalized Age 21 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  11. #19 Hospitalized Age 29 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  12. #2 Hospitalized Age 39 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  13. #20 Hospitalized Age 26 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  14. #21 Hospitalized Age 28 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  15. #22 Hospitalized Age 26 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  16. #23 Hospitalized Age 33 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  17. #24 Hospitalized Age 20 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  18. #25 Hospitalized Age 26 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  19. #3 Hospitalized Age 29 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  20. #4 Hospitalized Age 28 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  21. #5 Hospitalized Age 20 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  22. #6 Hospitalized Age 32 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  23. #7 Hospitalized Age 29 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  24. #8 Hospitalized Age 29 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

  25. #9 Hospitalized Age 20 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    8
    Event type
    8
    Source
    44
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2485
    Task assigned
    1

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