OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #818203
GULF MACHINERY COMPANY
FORT PIERCE, FL·
Event description
EMPLOYEE DIED FORM CHEMICAL BURNS
Investigation abstract
On May 9, 1989, Employee #1 and coworker were working approximately 24 feet from the ground pipe bridge walk on a condensate tank, which contained water and d-l imonene, which is the flammable oil. Employee #1 and the coworker were using a h and held torch to cut into the top section of the tank. Heat from the cutting wa s transferred into the tank, producing vapors and causing an explosion. Employee #1 and the coworker were hit by the flames and the explosion knocked them off t he pipe bridge walk onto the ground. The coworker sustained injuries and burns f rom d-limonene. Employee #1 sustained burns to 90 percent of his body and died.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 33 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn(Chemical) (4)
- Part of body
- MULTIPLE (19)
- Accident type
- OTHER (14)
- Source of injury
- CHEM LIQUIDS/VAPORS (9)
- Occupation
- Boilermakers (643)
- Human factor
- INSUFF/LACK/WRITN WRK PRAC PROG. (18)
- Environmental factor
- GAS/VAPOR/MIST/FUME/SMOKE/DUST (7)
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- 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.