OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14528756
CAUSTIC,SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE,BLEACH,PHOSPHORIC ACID,CHLORINE,DETERGENT,AIR CONTAMINATION,CHEMICAL REACTION
Event description
INHALATION OF NOXIOUS AND IRRITATING CHEMICALS
Investigation abstract
THE BASEMENT AREA LAUNDRY ROOM AT THE VA HOSPITAL WAS SCHEDULED FOR CLOSING WITH RMINATION AND THREE WERE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. ALL THE UNOPENED CONCENTRATED BLEACHES AND DETERGENTS TO BERETURNED TO THE MANU FACTURER. THERE REMAINED ONE OPEN 15 GAL CONTAINER OF SOUR "7" (PHOSPHORIC ACID) AND ONE OPEN 15 GAL CONTAINER OF DETERGENT101 (SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE AND CAUSTIC) . EMPLOYEE # 1 EMPTIED ONE OF THE TWO CONTAINERS INTO A DRAIN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW ED BY THE OTHER. ACCORDING TO THE FIRE DEPT AND POISON CONTROL CENTER THE RESULT ING CHEMICAL REACTION GENERATED CHLORINE GAS, CAUSING THE BASEMENT AND 1ST FLOOR OF THE HOSPITAL TO BE EVACUATED. APPROX. 20 PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED BY THE GAS AND D WERE EXAMINED BY A DOCTOR. SEVEN WERE FURTHER EVALUATED WITH A BLOOD-GAS DETE
Victims (3)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 34 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2085
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 43 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2085
- 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.