105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #672725

ASPHYXIATED,STYRENE,VENTILATION,LUNG,INSTALLING,VAPOR,CONSTRUCTION

Event
ASPHYXIATED,STYRENE,VENTILATION,LUNG,INSTALLING,VAPOR,CONSTRUCTION
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
672725
Report ID
751910

Event description

ELEVEN EMPLOYEES HOSPITALIZED WHEN OVERCOME BY ORGANIC VAPOR

Investigation abstract

At about 5:00 a.m. on June 23,1989, a floor surfacing contractor applied three b tyrene vapor and left the building to get fresh air. Employees #1 through #11 we re instructed to report to IBP's company nurse and then were transported to the Dallas County Hospital. Employees #1 through #11 were hospitalized and four empl oyees were diagnosed with chemical pneumonia. The suspected cause of the acciden t was an accumulation of styrene vapor in the box room due to improper fan place ment (i.e., not exhausting to the exterior) and insufficient air handling capaci ty. arrels (about 1,500 lbs) of Corve 8521, a polyester resin containing 33 percent styrene, to the IBP meat processing plant undergoing re-construction The fast-cu ring resin produced about 500 lbs of styrene vapors in the fourth cooler (420 by 60). The floor contractor placed two small (21-in.) box fans outside the fourth cooler in the box room, an adjacent room measuring 40-ft by 28-ft by 15-ft. Emp loyees reporting for work in the box room at 7:00 a.m. complained of a strong "p lastic" odor, nausea, and irritation to the eyes and nose. About 30 minutes afte r starting work, eleven employees working in the box room were overcome by the s

Victims (14)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #10 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #11 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #2 Hospitalized Age 25 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #3 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #4 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #5 Hospitalized Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #6 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #7 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  10. #8 Hospitalized Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    2
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  11. #9 Hospitalized Age 25 M

    Nature of injury
    8
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    2280
    Task assigned
    1

  12. #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

  13. #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

  14. #983 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

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