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 #14522635

METHYL ALCOHOL,FLAMMABLE LIQUID,FIRE,WELDING,EXPLOSION,SMOKING

Event
METHYL ALCOHOL,FLAMMABLE LIQUID,FIRE,WELDING,EXPLOSION,SMOKING
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14522635
Report ID
522300

Event description

FIRE AND EXPLOSION

Investigation abstract

THE EMPLOYEES WERE USING FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS IN THE AREA. THERE WAS AN UNMARKED DR UM OF METHYL ALCOHOL (1/2 FULL), WITH A ONE INCH DIAMETER OPENING (VENT) IN THE TOP OF THE BARREL. THEY WERE DISPENSING FROM THIS BARREL VIA A PUMP TO FILL TANK S IN VANS WITH WINSHIELD WASHER FLUID. THE BARREL HAD BEEN MOVED TO AN AREA WHER E SMOKING WAS ALLOWED. WELDING WAS BEING DONE ACROSS THE AISLE. A FIRE STARTED I N THE GRATE WHICH CATCHES ANY LEAKS FROM VANS BEING TESTED. EMPLOYEE #1, WHO WAS STANDING ON THE GRATE TALKING TO EMPLOYEE #2, CAUGHT FIRE. HE RAN ONE WAY AND E MPLOYEE #2 THE OTHER. THE DRUM OF METHYL ALCOHOL EXPLODED, BURNING EMPLOYEE #2.

Victims (2)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 47 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    16
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1660
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 26 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1660
    Task assigned
    2

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.