OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14562789
BURN,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,STORAGE TANK,EXPLOSION,SPARK,ARM,GASOLINE,TANK
Event description
EXPLOSION OF FLAMMABLE VAPORS IN GASOLINE STORAGE TANK
Investigation abstract
ON JUNE 1, 1985, AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM, EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE VENTING THE THE ADAPTER, AN EXPLOSION OCCURED. EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 SUSTAINED FIRST AND SECON D DEGREE BURNS OF THE LOWER ARMS. THE EXPLOSION WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE PRESE NCE OF AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE AND A SPARK CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE FAN MOTOR. #10 GASOLINE TANK, LOCATED IN THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE TANK YARD. THEY WE RE USING A DAYTON EXPLOSION PROOF MOTOR AND FAN ASSEMBLY, SERIAL #GK 041H, WHICH HAD BEEN HUNG IN AN OPEN, 27 INCH DIAMETER MANWAY. TWO 20 FOOT EXTENSION CORDS AND ONE HOMEMADE ADAPTER WERE BEING USED. THE ADAPTER WAS CONNECTED TO AN EXPLOS ION PROOF RECEPTACLE LOCATED AT THE BASE OF A NEARBY OUTDOOR LIGHT POLE. AFTER H ANGING THE FAN ASSEMBLY IN THE MANWAY, EMPLOYEE #1 WALKED NORTH ABOUT 50 FEET. E MPLOYEE #2 MADE UP ALL THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS UP TO THE LIGHT POLE. (THE POL E WAS ABOUT 100 FEET EAST OF TANK #10.) WHEN HE CONNECTED THE EXTENSION CORD TO
Victims (2)
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 38 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 17
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 8
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1340
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 17
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 8
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1340
- 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.