OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #779694
ST OF NV - NORTHERN NV CORRECTIONAL CENTER
CARSON CITY, NV·
Event description
Employee killed, inmate injured during tank explosion
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 had obtained an old cast-iron tank from a unknown source and planned s before the explosion, the pressure gauge registered 110 lb, where it froze aft er the explosion. Evidently, the pressure gauge had malfunctioned, misleading Em ployees #1 and #2. Pieces of the cast-iron tank were rusted on the broken edge, confirming that the tank had hairline fractures and that compressed air should n ot have been applied to the tank. to use it to collect condensed steam, which would not have required that it be under pressure. He and four prison inmates, including Employee #2, decided to ch eck the tank for leaks by closing and sealing all its openings, applying compres sed air to the tank, and administering a soap test. When the compressed air was applied, a gauge on the tank read between 25 and 30 lb. According to witnesses, the compressed air was then shut off to see if the tank would hold the static pr essure. Employee #1 then proceeded with the soap test. The tank exploded, injuri ng Employee #1 and Employee #2, who was standing behind Employee #1. Nine minute
Victims (2)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 43 Male
- Nature of injury
- Fracture (12)
- Part of body
- FACE (9)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- AIR PRESSURE (2)
- Occupation
- Boilermakers (643)
- Human factor
- EQUIP. INAPPROPR FOR OPERATION (6)
- Environmental factor
- FLYING OBJECT ACTION (5)
- Hazardous substance
- 8420
- Task assigned
- Task not regularly assigned (2)
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 35 Male
- Nature of injury
- Fracture (12)
- Part of body
- UPPER LEG (23)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- AIR PRESSURE (2)
- Occupation
- Helpers, mechanics and repairers (864)
- Human factor
- EQUIP. INAPPROPR FOR OPERATION (6)
- Environmental factor
- FLYING OBJECT ACTION (5)
- Hazardous substance
- 8420
- 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.