OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #780767
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE
LOUISVILLE, KY·
Event description
EMPLOYEES EXPOSED TO HAZARDOUS VAPORS FROM LEAKING CAN
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 3:30 PM ON AUGUST 6, 1987, A LEAKING FIVE GALLON CONTAINER WAS PLACED IN A DUMPSTER AT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING. THE CONTAINER WAS NOT LABELLED AS TO ITS CONTENTS. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:15 AM THE NEXT DAY THREE EMPLOYEES WHO WERE WASHING TRUCKS IN A DOCK WASH BAY BEGAN TO GET SICK FROM THE VAPORS EMANATI NG FROM THE DUMPSTER. ALL THE AFFECTED EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED NAUSEA AND EMPLOYEE #1 FAINTED. THE EMPLOYEES WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITALS, OBSERVED FOR ANY INJURIES AN D RELEASED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. NO LINGERING ILL EFFECTS WERE EVIDENT. THIS INCID ENT WAS CAUSED BY THE IMPROPER DISPOSITION OF THE DAMAGED CONTAINER, WHICH WAS I N TURN CAUSED BY THE LACK OF INDENTIFICATION OF THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES WITHIN.
Victims (3)
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 25 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 887
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0860
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 887
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0860
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 50 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 507
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0860
- Task assigned
- 1
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.