OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #660712
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
WILMINGTON, MA·
Event description
Two employees injured when oven explodes
Investigation abstract
At approximately 2:00 p.m. on May 15, 1989, Employee #1, a spray painter, finish loyee #1 had performed this operation for 3 years. ed spray painting the outside of two aircraft fuel flow meters. He then filled e ach of the pre-calibrated flow meters with approximately 1 quart of Stoddard sol vent. The solvent acts as a lubricant and prevents the internal bearings from dr ying out while the paint is baked onto the outer casings. As Employee #1 was pla cing the second of two meters into a preheated electric drying oven, the base of the meter fell off, releasing the solvent in the oven. The solvent instantly va porized and exploded. Employee #1 was hospitalized with burns. Employee #2, who was in training and was watching the operation, sustained burns to his face. Emp
Victims (2)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 36 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)
- Part of body
- ARM-MULT (2)
- Accident type
- OTHER (14)
- Source of injury
- FIRE/SMOKE (16)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- INSUFF/LACK/ENGINEERNG CONTROLS (17)
- Environmental factor
- FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#6 Non-hospitalized injury Age 29 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)
- Part of body
- FACE (9)
- Accident type
- OTHER (14)
- Source of injury
- FIRE/SMOKE (16)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- INSUFF/LACK/ENGINEERNG CONTROLS (17)
- Environmental factor
- FLAMMABLE LIQ/SOLID EXPOSURE (10)
- Task assigned
- Task not regularly assigned (2)
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.