OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #722074
R. BUSH DRUM
CICERO, IL·
Event description
WOMAN KILLED WHILE CLEANING TANK WITH PAINT REMOVER
Investigation abstract
The deceased was cleaning a 1600 gallon vat which was used to hold ink, using a mist of paint stripper and decal remover which contained methylene chloride. The deceased was found by her husband, slumped over on the vat. He called in emerge ncy help but it was too late. The deceased was not an employee of the company bu t was the wife of the business owner. Eight 16 ounce cans of paint stripper were found empty on the floor. The autopsy report stated the cause of death was meth ylene chloride inhalation and listed it as an accident. The wife was waiting for her husband to have lunch.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 20 Female
- Nature of injury
- Poisoning(Systemic) (17)
- Part of body
- OTHBODYSYS (31)
- Accident type
- INHALATION (8)
- Source of injury
- CHEM LIQUIDS/VAPORS (9)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- OTHER (14)
- Environmental factor
- GAS/VAPOR/MIST/FUME/SMOKE/DUST (7)
- Hazardous substance
- 1730
- 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.