OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #816785
MILLER-STEPHENSON CHEMICAL COMPANY
DANBURY, CT·
Event description
Employee killed by flash chemical fire
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 dispensed a flammable varnish from a 55 gallon drum into another emp ty 55 gallon drum that was 1/3 filled. He screwed the cap back on the drum and p ushed the 1/3 full drum of varnish on a scale with steel wheels through the plan t to the mixing room. He opened the drum, causing a flash chemical fire in which he died. None of the four drums containing flammable liquid for dispensing and mixing chemicals were grounded or bonded.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 24 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn(Chemical) (4)
- Part of body
- BODYSYSTEM (4)
- Accident type
- OTHER (14)
- Source of injury
- CHEM LIQUIDS/VAPORS (9)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- MATER-HANDLG PROCED. INAPPROPR (11)
- Environmental factor
- CHEMICAL ACTION/REACTION EXPOS (9)
- Hazardous substance
- 2590
- 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.