OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #674937
CECILS WELDING SERVICE
GLENDALE, SC·
Event description
TWO WELDERS INJURED IN AMMONIA TANK EXPLOSION
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEES #1 & #2 WERE ASSIGNED TO WELD A CRACK IN AN AQUA AMMONIA TANK AT VAN W D TO GET AWAY. THE TANK EXPLODED. THEY RECEIVED BURNS TO THE EYES AND SKIN. EMPL OYEE #2 WAS HOSPITALIZED; EMPLOYEE #1 WAS NOT. ATERS AND ROGERS BULK STORAGE AREA. THE CRACK WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES LONG AN D ABOUT 14 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND ON A 22 FOOT HIGH TANK. THE TANK HAD A 20,000 G ALLON CAPACITY. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 250 GALLONS OF AQUA AMMONIA ALONG WITH 10,000 GALLONS OF WATER. THE LEVEL OF THE TANK'S CON TENTS CAME TO ABOUT 1 FOOT BELOW THE CRACK WHICH THE EMPLOYEES WERE TO WELD. EMP LOYEES #1 & #2 GROUND DOWN THE WELD. EMPLOYEE #2, USING A MIG WELDER, RAN APPROX IMATELY 6 BEADS. THE CRACK OPENED. EMPLOYEE #2 THEN USED A CUTTING TORCH TO HEAT THE AREA AROUND THE CRACK. EMPLOYEES #1 & #2 HEARD A HISSING SOUND AND ATTEMPTE
Victims (3)
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 8
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 783
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Hazardous substance
- 0170
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 8
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 783
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Hazardous substance
- 0170
- 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
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.