OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #660696

GOTHAM INK OF NEW ENGLAND, INC.

MARLBORO, MA· 1989-03-06T00:00:00

Event: STATIC ELECTRICITY, DRUM, FIRE, TOLUENE, EXPLOSION
NAICS: 000000
Inspection type: Accident-driven
Activity number: #101343473
Employer profile: GOTHAM INK OF NEW ENGLAND, INC.
Summary number: 660696
Report ID: 111400

Event description

Two employees killed, others injured in drum explosion

Investigation abstract

An employee was dispensing toluene into an ungrounded drum using a gasoline-type nozzle. The nozzle may not have been touching the drum. The drum's vent cap was in place and the drum was on a dolly with rubber wheels that was on a steel sca le. It appears that a static charge set off toluene vapors, an explosion occurre d at the drum, and a fire ignited. Employees #1 and #2 were killed; Employees #3 through #6 were hospitalized; and Employees #7 through #19 were injured.

Victims (19)

#1 Fatality Age 31 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#10 Non-hospitalized injury Age 36 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#11 Non-hospitalized injury Age 60 Female

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#12 Non-hospitalized injury Age 43 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#13 Non-hospitalized injury Age 44 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#14 Non-hospitalized injury Age 25 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#15 Non-hospitalized injury Age 48 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#16 Non-hospitalized injury Age 41 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#17 Non-hospitalized injury Age 37 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#18 Non-hospitalized injury Age 64 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#19 Non-hospitalized injury Age 64 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#2 Fatality Age 31 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#3 Hospitalized Age 26 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#4 Hospitalized Age 32 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#5 Hospitalized Age 43 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#6 Hospitalized Age 45 Male

Nature of injury
Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)

Part of body
MULTIPLE (19)

Accident type
OTHER (14)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#7 Non-hospitalized injury Age 24 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#8 Non-hospitalized injury Age 58 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)
#9 Non-hospitalized injury Age 54 Male

Nature of injury
Other (21)

Part of body
LUNG (28)

Accident type
INHALATION (8)

Source of injury
FIRE/SMOKE (16)

Occupation
Occupation not reported (999)

Human factor
MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)

Environmental factor
FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)

Hazardous substance
2460

Task assigned
Task regularly assigned (1)

Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.