104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14569487

RESPIRATORY,THROAT,HEADACHE,INHALATION,CHLORINE DIOXIDE,COUGH

Event
RESPIRATORY,THROAT,HEADACHE,INHALATION,CHLORINE DIOXIDE,COUGH
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14569487
Report ID
1054115

Event description

EXPOSED TO CHLORINE DIOXIDE GAS.

Investigation abstract

ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1984, BETWEEN 3 AND 3:30 PM, EMPLOYEES #1 THROUGH #8 INHALED CH THE POTATOES OR OTHERWISE TRYING TO GET PRODUCTION BACK TO NORMAL. CHLORINE DIOX IDE IS HEAVIER THAN AIR SO IT REMAINED AT FLOOR LEVEL AND CONTINUED TO ACCUMULAT E. THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE SYSTEM WAS EVENTUALLY SHUT DOWN AROUND 3:15 PM, AFTER TH E EMPLOYEES COMPLAINED OF COUGHING, SORE THROATS AND HEADACHES. THEY COMPLETED T HEIR SHIFT AND WENT TO THE HOSPITAL THE NEXT DAY. ALL BUT ONE WERE TREATED AND R ELEASED. LORINE DIOXIDE GAS (CL O2) WHILE WORKING IN THE FRENCH FRY PRODUCTION AREA AT TH E LAMB-WESTON PLANT IN HERMISTON, OREGON. THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE IS SUSPENDED IN W ATER TO HELP KEEP BACTERIA LEVELS LOW IN THE POTOTOES AS THEY FLOW THROUGH THE S YSTEM. A SERIES OF MECHANICAL BREAKDOWNS CONTRIBUTED TO A LACK OF POTATOES FLOWI NG THROUGH THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE SYSTEM. SINCE THERE WAS NO PRODUCT TO TIE UP OR DISSOLVE THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE, THE CONCENTRATION IN THE SYSTEM BECAME TOO HIGH, THEREBY CAUSING THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE TO "GAS OFF" INTO THE AMBIENT AIR. MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE WORKING IN AND AROUND THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE AREA, CLEANING UP

Victims (8)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 23 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 30 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    699
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 22 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #5 Hospitalized Age 37 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    689
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #6 Hospitalized Age 30 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    699
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #7 Hospitalized Age 39 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #8 Hospitalized Age 60 F

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    689
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0614
    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.

← Back to accident search