OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221446123
COVANTA STANISLAUS, INC.
CROWS LANDING, CA·
Event description
Power plant operator is burned by engulfment in hot ashes
Investigation abstract
At 11:55 a.m. or 12:21 p.m. on October 21, 2021, an employee was working as an accumulation of ash. The hot ash gave way and engulfed the employee. Nearby workers were able to get the employee out from the hopper and render medical attention. The employee had sustained burns to his hands, abdomen, legs, and feet. He was transported to a university's teaching hospital and admitted for treatment. He was hospitalized. The Division was notified of the twice, first by the fire department at 2:35 p.m. that same day, and next by the employer at 6:05 p.m. that same day. The Division arrived at the site to start the inspection on October 26, 2021. auxiliary power plant operator at a biomass electric power generation facility. He worked directly for the employer. This was a waste-to-energy facility. The employer generated energy from burning residential and DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) waste and converting it to energy. Controlled substances and other pharmaceuticals had to be disposed of in a prescribed manner. The employee and some coworkers were cleaning the site's Unit One convection hopper during the course of maintenance. The hopper's chute was clogged. The employee had climbed inside the hopper. He was either actively clearing the hopper or observing the
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 49 M
- Event type
- 2
- Occupation code
- 695
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.