OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #607911
RESPIRATORY,PIPE,INHALATION,FINGER,RUPTURE,PRESSURE PIPING,CARBON DIOXIDE,FROZEN
Event description
1 EMPLOYEE KILLED, 1 INJURED FROM CARBON DIOXIDE EXPOSURE
Investigation abstract
SOMETIME BETWEEN 12:30 AND 1 AM ON DECEMBER 5, 1987 A PRESSURIZED LIQUID CARBON D BEEN KNOCKED OVER, PROBABLY BY EMPLOYEE #1 JUMPING IT TO GET TO AN EXIT. EMPLO YEE #2 WAS FOUND COLLAPSED AGAINST A WALL NEAR THE FRONT ENTRANCE. EMPLOYEE #2 S UFFERED FROSTBITE ON HIS LEFT HAND AND WEEKS LATER LOST ALL HIS FINGERS ON THAT HAND. TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES IN THE ROOM AT THE TIME OF THE RUPTURE ESCAPED WITHOUT HARM. DIOXIDE LINE RUPTURED AT THE EAVES PACKING COMPANY. THE LINE RUNS FROM AN OUTSID E STORAGE TANK TO A MEAT BLENDER INSIDE THE BUILDING. EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE P ART OF A CONTRACT CLEAN-UP CREW THAT WAS CLEANING THE MEAT PROCESSING ROOM AND E QUIPMENT WITH PRESSURIZED WATER HOSES. THEY WERE LOCATED WITHIN 40 FEET OF THE A REA OF THE RUPTURE JUST BEFORE THE CARBON DIOXIDE BEGAN LEAKING. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, EMPLOYEE #1 MAY HAVE BEEN ON A LADDER DIRECTLY UNDER THE PIPE THAT RUPT URED. THE ROOM BECAME VERY FOGGY AND COLD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RUPTURE. VISIBIL ITY WAS NEAR ZERO. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS FOUND TANGLED UP IN A ROLLER CONVEYOR THAT HA
Victims (4)
-
#1 Fatality Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 0530
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 24 M
- Nature of injury
- 13
- Part of body
- 10
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 11
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 11
- Hazardous substance
- 0530
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
-
#982 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
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.