Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
105,991Records 70,589Employers 85,836Hospitalizations 27,959Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-11-30

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #760405

NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, 11TH HIGHWAY DIV.

Event
EQUIPMENT FAILURE, CHLORINE, VALVE, GAS LEAK, OVEREXPOSURE, TANK
NAICS
000000
Inspection type
Accident-driven
Activity number
#18568394
Employer profile
NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, 11TH HIGHWAY DIV.
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
    Other (21)
    Part of body
    OTHBODYSYS (31)
    Accident type
    INHALATION (8)
    Source of injury
    GASES (19)
    Occupation
    Janitors and cleaners (453)
    Human factor
    MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
    Environmental factor
    GAS/VAPOR/MIST/FUME/SMOKE/DUST (7)
    Hazardous substance
    0640
    Task assigned
    Task not regularly assigned (2)
  2. #2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 47 M

    Nature of injury
    Other (21)
    Part of body
    OTHBODYSYS (31)
    Accident type
    INHALATION (8)
    Source of injury
    GASES (19)
    Occupation
    Occupation not reported (999)
    Human factor
    MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
    Environmental factor
    GAS/VAPOR/MIST/FUME/SMOKE/DUST (7)
    Hazardous substance
    0640
    Task assigned
    Task regularly assigned (1)

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.