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Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #760405

EQUIPMENT FAILURE,CHLORINE,VALVE,GAS LEAK,OVEREXPOSURE,TANK

Event
EQUIPMENT FAILURE,CHLORINE,VALVE,GAS LEAK,OVEREXPOSURE,TANK
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
760405
Report ID
453710

Event description

Two employees exposed to chlorine gas

Investigation abstract

At approximately 7:45 p.m. on February 14, 1989, Employees #1 and #2 were changi , where he was treated and released. Employee #2 went to a local hospital in Elk in, NC, where he was treated and released. ng a yoke adapter connection on a 150 lb chlorine tank filled with chlorine gas to have it serviced by an outside firm. The employees turned off the valve contr olling the cylinder. Apparently the valve was faulty, allowing the gas to leak w hen the employees took off the adapter. The employees attempted to control the e ffects of the leak by donning provided respirators (full facepiece respirator wi th filter cartridge), but they were unable to control the leak. The employees ca lled the local emergency number and emergency personnel responded and controlled the leak. Employee #1 was taken to Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville, NC

Victims (2)

  1. #1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 31 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    453
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0640
    Task assigned
    2
  2. #2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 47 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    31
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    0640
    Task assigned
    1

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