OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #867853

BURN,EJECTED,SEVERED,BARGE,FRACTURE,FIRE,EXPLOSION,LACERATION,ARM,CONTUSION

1989-05-06T00:00:00

Event: BURN,EJECTED,SEVERED,BARGE,FRACTURE,FIRE,EXPLOSION,LACERATION,ARM,CONTUSION
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 867853
Report ID: 522300

Event description

One employee killed, two hurt in river barge explosion

Investigation abstract

At approximately 3:20 p.m. on May 6, 1989, Employees #1, #2, and #3 were standin g on top of the #2 compartment of a three compartment river barge while strippin g the cargo of benzene and venting the compartments. An explosion and fire occur red on the barge. Employee #1 was blown into the water. His arm was severed from the body, and he was killed. Employees #2 and #3 sustained fractures of the leg and body, contusions, lacerations, and burns. The electric equipment used on de ck was not explosion-proof. It was raining and a strong wind was blowing from th e aft to the forward end of the barge.

Victims (3)

#1 Fatality Age 34 M

Nature of injury
21

Part of body
4

Event type
14

Source
4

Occupation code
999

Human factor
6

Environmental factor
18

Task assigned
1
#2 Hospitalized Age 24 M

Nature of injury
12

Part of body
16

Event type
6

Source
4

Occupation code
999

Human factor
6

Environmental factor
18

Task assigned
1
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 24 M

Nature of injury
3

Part of body
4

Event type
6

Source
4

Occupation code
999

Human factor
6

Environmental factor
18

Task assigned
1

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