OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14543896
SAVAGE INDUSTRIES INC,
BATH, PA·
Event description
EMPLOYEES KILLED/INJURED IN EXPLOSION OF 200 GALLON REACTOR
Investigation abstract
AT 1 AM ON JANUARY 7, 1987, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CHARGING A 200 GALLON GLASS LINED PF ANDLER REACTOR IN PREPARATION OF MANUFACTURING ISAPROPYL ACRYLAMIDE. EMPLOYEE #1 HAD CHARGED SULFURIC ACID INTO THE REACTOR AND WAS CHARGING THE ACRYLONITRILE. THE CHARGING MAY HAVE BEEN PERFORMED IN AN INCORRECT ORDER (WITHOUT AGITATION) C AUSING AN EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD UP AND EXPANSION OF GASES AND VAPORS RESULTING IN AN EXPLOSION. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS KILLED. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR SECOND A ND THIRD DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE AND HANDS. EMPLOYEES #2, #4 AND #5 WERE TREATE D AT THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED. NINETEEN FIRE FIGHTERS ALSO WERE ALSO TREATED FO R EYE IRRITATION AND NAUSEA AND RELEASED.
Victims (5)
-
#1 Fatality Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 6
- Part of body
- 5
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 6
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 10
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 21 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 29
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 29
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 18
- 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.