OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #777771
INDUSTRIAL POWER CONTRACTORS
HUNTINGTON, UT·
Event description
Three employees hospitalized after exposure to toxic gas
Investigation abstract
Utah Power & Light, the employer, did an air load test on an electrostatic preci pitator after an extended shutdown. The testing was done on the weekend when the contractor was not on site. After the testing was completed, no one turned off the equipment. With no smoke load, the unit became a very efficient ozone genera tor. The contractor went to work Monday morning without checking the system. Sho rtly after the start of the work shift, employees started to experience acute re spiratory problems. Employees #1, #2, and #3 passed out and were transported to a medical facility, where they were hospitalized. Three others showed chronic re spiratory symptoms and were removed with the other employees to clean air.
Victims (3)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 37 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- LUNG (28)
- Accident type
- INHALATION (8)
- Source of injury
- GASES (19)
- Occupation
- Construction trades, n.e.c. (599)
- Human factor
- INSUFF/LACK/WRITN WRK PRAC PROG. (18)
- Environmental factor
- CHEMICAL ACTION/REACTION EXPOS (9)
- Hazardous substance
- 1980
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 29 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- LUNG (28)
- Accident type
- INHALATION (8)
- Source of injury
- GASES (19)
- Occupation
- Construction trades, n.e.c. (599)
- Human factor
- INSUFF/LACK/WRITN WRK PRAC PROG. (18)
- Environmental factor
- CHEMICAL ACTION/REACTION EXPOS (9)
- Hazardous substance
- 1980
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 23 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- LUNG (28)
- Accident type
- INHALATION (8)
- Source of injury
- GASES (19)
- Occupation
- Construction trades, n.e.c. (599)
- Human factor
- INSUFF/LACK/WRITN WRK PRAC PROG. (18)
- Environmental factor
- CHEMICAL ACTION/REACTION EXPOS (9)
- Hazardous substance
- 1980
- 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. 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.