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 #570341

BURN,COAL TAR LIGHT OIL,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,RAILROAD TANK CAR,CLEANING,EXPLOSION

Event
BURN,COAL TAR LIGHT OIL,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,RAILROAD TANK CAR,CLEANING,EXPLOSION
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
570341
Report ID
522300

Event description

EXPLOSION WHILE CLEANING TANK CAR CONTAINING FLAMMABLE WASTE

Investigation abstract

THREE EMPLOYEES WERE CLEANING A RAILROAD TANK CAR CONTAINING RESIDUES OF COAL TA R LIGHT OIL, A FLAMMABLE LIQUID. ONE WAS ON TOP OF THE CAR, THE OTHER TWO WERE I NSIDE. THEY WERE USING STEEL SHOVELS AND A NON EXPLOSION-PROOF LIGHT INSIDE THE CAR. THE VAPORS IGNITED, KILLING THE TWO EMPLOYEES INSIDE AND BURNING THE ONE ON TOP. THE OTHER EMPLOYEES WERE INJURED IN THE RESCUE ATTEMPT.

Victims (6)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 29 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Fatality Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0560
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  5. #5 Hospitalized Age 45 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    7
    Task assigned
    1
  6. #6 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    7
    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.