OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #570739
BURN,TANK TRUCK,MAINTENANCE,VENTILATION,CONFINED SPACE,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,FIRE,LP GAS,TANK
Event description
LP GAS USED INSIDE TANK TRUCK; IGNITED AND BURNED 2 WORKERS
Investigation abstract
TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ASSIGNED TO REMOVE A 12 INCH SQUARE OF SOLIDIFIED ASPHALT FRO WO EMPLOYEES. NONE OF THE SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL WERE AWARE THAT THE LP GAS WAS B EING USED IN THE TANK. M THE INSIDE OF A TANK TRUCK, SO THAT WELDING COULD BE DONE ON THE TANK. THE TAN K HAD BEEN COOLED AND VENTILATED. THEY STARTED TO CHIP AWAY AT THE ASPHALT CHIP WITH AN ELECTRIC HAMMER DRILL, BUT THE ASPHALT WAS SLIGHTLY STICKY AND NOT EASIL Y BROKEN UP. EMPLOYEE #2 INSTRUCTED EMPLOYEE #1 TO GET A 20 POUND CYLINDER OF LP GAS AND BRING IT INTO THE TANK. EMPLOYEE #2 TOOK THE TANK AND SPRAYED LP GAS ON TO THE ASPHALT IN AN EFFORT TO FREEZE IT. EACH TIME THEY WOULD VENTILATE THE GAS BEFORE USING THE HAMMER DRILL. ABOUT THE 6TH TIME THAT THIS PROCEDURE WAS USED, THE LP GAS WAS APPARENTLY NOT VENTED SUFFICIENTLY AND IT IGNITED, BURNING THE T
Victims (2)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2150
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 34 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 2150
- 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.