OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14543045
FLAMMABLE VAPORS,DRUM,EXPLOSION,HAND,BURN,FIRE,LEG,ACETYLENE TORCH,CONSTRUCTION,ARM
Event description
EMPLOYEE HEATED DRUM CONTAINING FLAMMABLE VAPORS, EXPLODED
Investigation abstract
ON DECEMBER 28, 1984, EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE USING A 55 GALLON DRUM AS A FORM TO BEND REINFORCING RODS INTO A CIRCULAR SHAPE. THE DRUM CONTAINED TWO TO THREE GALLONS OF CONCRETE SEALER, WITH A ZYLENE BASE, AND WAS PROPERLY MARKED AS CONTA INING FLAMMABLE MATERIALS. WHEN THE WORKERS STARTED USING AN ACETYLENE TORCH TO HASTEN BENDING, THE DRUM EXPLODED. EMPLOYEE #1, WHO WAS SITTING ON TOP OF THE DR UM, WAS BURNED OVER 95% OF HIS BODY. EMPLOYEE #2 RECEIVED BURNS OVER 10% OF HIS BODY (ARMS, LEGS, AND HANDS). EMPLOYEE #1 DIED JANUARY 9, 1985, AS A RESULT OF H IS INJURIES.
Victims (5)
-
#1 Fatality Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 10
- Hazardous substance
- 2592
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 10
- Hazardous substance
- 2592
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
-
#982 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
-
#983 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
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.