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 #707083

BURN,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,WORK RULES,FIRE,WELDER,WELDING,EXPLOSION,CONTUSION

Event
BURN,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,WORK RULES,FIRE,WELDER,WELDING,EXPLOSION,CONTUSION
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
707083
Report ID
352420

Event description

KEROSENE TANK BEING WELDED ON EXPLODED

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ASSIGNED TO WELD "LIFTING TABS" ONTO A 275 GALLON TANK WHICH CON HOSPITALIZED WITH SEVERE BURNS. HE DIED ON AUGUST 21, 1986. EMPLOYEES #2 THROUG H #5, AND #8, WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL WITH BURNS, CONTUSIONS AND STRAINS. THEY WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. EMPLOYEE #6 SUFFERED HEIGHTENED BLOOD PRESSURE FROM POST TRAUMA ANXIETY. EMPLOYEE #7 SUFFERED FROM RINGING IN HIS EARS. THESE TWO EM PLOYEES, AND EMPLOYEES #9 THROUGH #13, WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL, CHECKED AND RE LEASED. THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE KEROSENE TANK HAD BEEN DRA INED, CLEANED AND FILLED WITH WATER BEFORE WELDING WAS ATTEMPTED ON IT. TAINED ABOUT 100 GALLONS OF KEROSENE. LOCATED NEAR THE TANK WERE THE FOLLOWING I TEMS: 1. A 100 POUND PROPANE CYLINDER, 2. A TRUCK WITH A WELDING MACHINE AND FUE L AND OXYGEN CYLINDERS, 3. A FRONT END LOADER AND SOME OTHER EQUIPMENT, AND, 4. VARIOUS WOOD AND METAL ITEMS LAYING ABOUT. EMPLOYEE #1 STRUCK AN ARC AT THE TANK TOP WITH AN ELECTRIC WELDING ROD. THE KEROSENE IN THE TANK IGNITED AND EXPLODED , RUPTURING THE TANK. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS SPRAYED WITH FLAMING KEROSENE. THE PROPANE TANK, AND SEVERAL OTHER CONTAINERS IN THE AREA WITH UNKNOWN CONTENTS, ALSO EXPL ODED. THE WELDING TRUCK AND FUEL GAS CYLINDER ON IT CAUGHT FIRE. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS

Victims (13)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 39 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    783
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #10 Hospitalized Age 25 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #11 Hospitalized Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    516
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #12 Hospitalized Age 23 F

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    379
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #13 Hospitalized Age 24 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    856
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #2 Hospitalized Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    1
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #3 Hospitalized Age 22 M

    Nature of injury
    20
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #4 Hospitalized Age 59 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #5 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    863
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  10. #6 Hospitalized Age 40 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    516
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  11. #7 Hospitalized Age 40 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    6
    Event type
    14
    Source
    47
    Occupation code
    516
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  12. #8 Hospitalized Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    856
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

  13. #9 Hospitalized Age 36 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    14
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    503
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    18
    Hazardous substance
    8880
    Task assigned
    1

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.

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