OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #802249
SHRINERS HOSPITAL FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN
GREENVILLE, SC·
Event description
EMPLOYEE ASPHYXIATED BY NITROUS OXIDE
Investigation abstract
On June 20, 1989, Employee #1 was asphyxiated by nitrous oxide. Employee #1 was working alone and was assigned to clean the operating room where nitrous oxide c ylinders are kept. The employee was found slumped over a cylinder of nitrous oxi de in the nurses' lounge. There was an unbroken seal on the nitrous oxide cylind er and a T-handle wrench used to open cylinder valves was found at Employee #1's feet. The preliminary coroner's report showed high levels of nitrous oxide. Oth er tests showed no presence of alcohol or drugs.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 19 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- BODYSYSTEM (4)
- 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
- 1953
- 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.