OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #775015
WALL,FLAMMABLE VAPORS,NATURAL GAS,EXPLOSION,GAS LEAK,STRUCK BY,FLYING OBJECT
Event description
Employee killed in natural gas explosion
Investigation abstract
At approximately 4:35 p.m. on September 11, 1988, Employee #1 responded to an em , leaving an open natural gas line inside the house. The ignition source was eit her the pilot light for the gas-fired hot water tank or an electric heater that could have been left on as indicated by the position of the ON switch. ergency natural gas leak at a vacant house. He observed that the gas meter, loca ted approximately 30 ft from the back wall of the house, was moving quickly alth ough no gas leak was noted there. The employee had gone to get his tools to shut off the gas at the meter and was about 4 to 5 ft from the house when it suddenl y exploded. Employee #1 was struck by a projectile wall and was thrown backward approximately 25 ft. He suffered multiple injuries and died on September 12, 198 8, at a hospital in Tulsa, OK. Police investigation revealed that the house had been burglarized hours before the explosion and that a gas range had been stolen
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 43 M
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 235
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1640
- Task assigned
- 1
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