OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #851329
OSHKOSH TRUCK CORPORATION SOUTH PLANT
OSHKOSH, WI·
Event description
Employees hospitalized for toxic gas inhalation
Investigation abstract
A parts cleaning tank and aluminum parts basket had been built by a first shift p.m., on the second shift, an operator noticed a bluish tint to the liquid, but didn't report it. Later during the third shift on September 21, employees in the area began to notice a whitish haze in the building and could smell and/or tast e battery acid. Between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., someone noticed that the liquid in t he tank was boiling and producing a lot of fumes. The tank was moved outside by a forklift truck and the Fire Department was called. Employees #1 through #7, fr om the third shift, were hospitalized because of breathing difficulties, chest p ains, and dry throats. They were kept in the hospital for 8 to 10 hours, given o xygen, then released. The employees did not work the third shift that day, but r eturned to work on September 22, 1988. The liquid in the drum that was used was press operator. The tank and basket were designed to enable the fab shop press o not a safety solvent, but Hydrite S133, which contains methylene chloride and 1, 1,1-tricloroethane. A sign above the drum was marked "safety solvent." perators to clean their tools on location, rather than in the tool crib. At appr oximately 10:00 a.m. on September 20, 1988, a first shift press operator was ins tructed to take the tank to the chemical room and fill it with solvent. A stock room attendant unlocked the chemical room, the press operator asked for the part s cleaning solvent, and the attendant pointed out a drum and told him to use it. After he put 3 to 4 gallons of liquid and the aluminum basket into the tank, it was rolled back to the press area and positioned there. At approximately 10:00
Victims (7)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 23 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 41 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 34 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 40 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 26 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1720
- 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.