OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221372840

WESTROCK MILL COMPANY, LLC

DEMOPOLIS, AL· 2021-07-03T00:00:00

Event: Aerial Lift, Aerial Truck, Arm, Back, Burn, Chemical, Chemical Burn, Chemical Exposure, Closing, Eye, Goggles, High Pressure, High Pressure Pipe, Hot Water, Insufficient Supervision, Lack of Work Procedures, Leak, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Maintenance, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Open Valve, Overpressure, PPE, PPE Hazard Assessment, Painter, Pressure, Protective Clothing, Shoulder, Sprayed, Struck By, Valve
NAICS: 322110
Inspection type: Referral
Activity number: #345424477
Employer profile: WESTROCK MILL COMPANY, LLC
Summary number: 221372840
Report ID: 0418600

Event description

Employee sustains burns when sprayed by liquor from leaking

Investigation abstract

At 8:30 a.m. on July 3, 2021, an employee working as a painter for a pulp mill was working from an aerial lift approximately 20 to 25 feet off the ground. The employee was preparing to close a ball valve as part of a lockout/tagout process. The employee was closing the valve, which is part of a white liquor pressurized line which is heated to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. The line required maintenance on the valve which is leaking when closed. As the employee closed the valve approximately 70-90%, the liquor was released and struck the employee. The employee was hospitalized to treat chemical and thermal burns to his eyes, shoulders, arm and back.

Victim

#1 Hospitalized Age 50 M

Event type
14

Occupation code
579

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.