OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #825877
MCCORMICK-STANGE FLAVOR DIVISION
HUNT VALLEY, MD·
Event description
EMPLOYEE INHALED OXIDES OF NITROGEN
Investigation abstract
THE RIBBON BLENDER OPERATORS MIXED, FOR FIRST TIME, A DOUBLE BATCH OF HAM CURING BREATHING DEEPLY BETWEEN EACH WORD. SHORTLY AFTER REPLACING THE PHONE, HE LAPSE D INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS. HE WAS GIVEN OXYGEN BY TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES, THEN CARRIED OUTSIDE. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY. 31 OTHER EMPLOYEES WERE ALSO SENT TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SYMPTOMS OF LIGHTHEADEDNESS. HEAD ACHE, EYE IRRITATION, DIZZINESS, CHEST TIGHTNESS, WEAKNESS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND RED EYES. TWO EMPLOYEES LATER ENTERED THE AREA TO GET A SAMPLE OF THE PRODUC T. ONE USED A SCBA FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER USED A HALF-FACE OV/AC ID GAS RESPIRATOR. THE GAS EMTTING PRODUCT WAS BAGGED AND DRUMMED. AN ANALYSIS O F THE GAS IN THE HEADSPACE OF THE DRUMMED PRODUCT SHOWED OXIDES OF NITROGEN TO B E PRESENT. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHY THIS REACTION OCCURRED, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE D PRODUCT. THE BATCH CONSISTED OF ABOUT 3400 POUNDS OF SALT, SUGAR, SODIUM NITRIT OUBLING OF THE NORMAL BATCH SIZE WAS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. E, SODIUM NITRATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL AND CARAMEL COLORING. THE RIBBON BLENDER'S T OTAL CAPACITY WAS ABOUT 5000 POUNDS. 15 MINUTES INTO THE BLENDING PROCESS, EMISS IONS BEGAN TO EMANATE FROM THE BLENDER. THE BLENDER OPERATORS EXPERIENCES EYE IR RITATION AND HEADACHES. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CALLED TO THE DRY BLENDING AREA TO INVES TIGATE. IN LESS THAN A MINUTE, HE LEFT THE ROOM, ENTERED THE PRODUCTION OFFICE A ND TELEPHONED THE SECRETARY TO ORDER THE BUILDING EVACUATED. EMPLOYEE #1'S SYMPT OMS WERE TIREDNESS AND LIGHT HEADEDNESS, AND, ACCORDING TO THE SECRETARY, HE WAS
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 39 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 633
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1903
- Task assigned
- 1
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