OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14520878
UNCLE CHARLIES' JUNK MAN
FAIRFIELD, IL·
Event description
One employee killed and one injured as vessel explodes
Investigation abstract
Employees #1 and #2 were assisting the employer in scrapping old oil field tank plosion drove the inspection plate into Employee #1's head and killed him. Emplo yee #2's eyes were injured by flying debris. battery tanks and an associated oil water separator vessel. The employer had bui lt fires in all vessels prior to the crew cutting up the vessels, ostensibly to burn out all flammable vapors. Employee #1 removed the bolts and the inspection hole cover from one end of the separator vessel while the employer cut nuts from the inspection hole cover at the other end of the vessel, using an oxygen-propa ne blau-type cutting torch. When the cover was cut free, Employee #1 was using a hammer and punch to knock off the cover. Vapor inside the vessel was ignited by the torch that the employer was using at the first opening. The force of the ex
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 53 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 6
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 24 M
- Nature of injury
- 11
- Part of body
- 8
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 6
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Task assigned
- 1
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