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 #14527816

BURN,BARGE,SHIPYARD,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,CLEANING,EXPLOSION,GAS LEAK,TANK

Event
BURN,BARGE,SHIPYARD,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,CLEANING,EXPLOSION,GAS LEAK,TANK
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14527816
Report ID
419400

Event description

Employees die from explosion in barge wing tank

Investigation abstract

Employees #1 and #2 were cleaning a port wing tank (void) #9. Port repairs had b ilation fan) and Employee #1 up and over the port side. Employee #1 fell 16 ft a nd landed on the work flat. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Employee #2 was taken to a hospital burn center and died five days later. een completed except for welding (filling) gouged seams on the outside. A cuttin g torch and hoses had been lowered into the wing tank, but Employees #1 and #2 d iscovered a leak in the fuel gas line and had a third employee pull the hose and torch back out of the hold so that repairs could be made. An explosion-proof fo rced air blower was blowing air into the hold; it was positioned half on and hal f off the hatch. Employee #1 was on a fixed ladder and Employee #2 was at the bo ttom of the triangular-shaped, 14 ft deep by 24 ft long, compartment. When fuel gas residual ignited, unbeknownst to the employees, it blew the air blower (vent

Victims (2)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    6
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    11
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    15
    Hazardous substance
    1652
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Fatality Age 37 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    2
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1652
    Task assigned
    1

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