OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #606210
HAMMOND SEPTIC SERVICE
GAINESVILLE, GA·
Event description
EMPLOYEES OVERCOME BY CHLORINE GAS
Investigation abstract
ON JULY 16, 1986, AT APPROXIMATELY 10 AM, AN EMPLOYEE OF A SEPTIC CLEANING COMPA UFFERED SEVERE BRAIN DAMAGE. CAUSE OF DEATH WAS EXPOSURE TO CHLORINE GAS. NY RAN INTO THE PLANT AND REQUESTED HELP. THE HATCHERY SUPERVISOR WAS SUMMONED A ND THE MEN RUSHED OUTSIDE. EMPLOYEES #1-4 HAD ALL BEEN OVERCOME BY CHLORINE GAS WITHIN A TANK AND WERE LYING AT THE BOTTOM. FANS WERE USED TO MOVE AIR INTO THE TANK AND RAN ABOUT 4 MINUTES UNTIL THE EMERGENCY UNITS ARRIVED. THE UNITS WERE E QUIPPED WITH SELF CONTAINED BREATHING RESPIRATORS. TWO MEMBERS OF THE UNIT WENT DOWN AND BEGAN REMOVING VICTIMS FROM THE SLUDGE. TWO MEN WERE IN CARDIAC ARREST. ALL 4 EMPLOYEES WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE DEAD ON ARRIVAL. EMPLOYEE #3 DIED A FEW DAYS LATER. EMPLOYEE #4 IS STILL ALIVE BUT S
Victims (4)
-
#1 Fatality Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Fatality Age 53 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Fatality Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 18 M
- Nature of injury
- 1
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- 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.