OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #893040
AUTOMATA, INC.
STERLING, VA·
Event description
Employee killed, others injured during chemical explosion
Investigation abstract
At approximately 6:40 a.m. on May 23, 1988, Employee #1, having been instructed the sulfuric acid (HL68). Employee #1 realized immediately that Employee #3 had brought the wrong chemical and began to complain to Employee #2. Employee #4, s ensing that something was wrong, immediately shut off the pump. Employee #2 had started to walk over to the pre-cleaner while telling Employee #4 that the wrong chemical would have to be pumped out when, without warning, the pump exploded. Employee #1 died of multiple injuries, including chemical inhalation, 48 hours a fter the explosion; Employee #2 sustained cuts, bruises, and chemical inhalation injuries; Employee #3 sustained a fractured right arm, cuts, and bruises, and p ossible chemical inhalation; and Employee #4 sustained minor cuts and bruises. I n addition, Employee #5, working at an adjacent machine, sustained cuts and brui by Employee #2, was changing the sulfuric acid (HL68 copper cleaner) solution in ses and possible chemical inhalation; Employee #6 sustained a cut to the forehea d and possible chemical inhalation injuries; Employees #7, #8, #9 and #10 were m onitored for possible chemical inhalation injuries. a model 650 pre-cleaner system. He purged the system of the spent solution and emptied a partial container of HL68 into the pre-cleaner. Meanwhile, Employee #3 went into the warehouse area and returned with what he thought was a new contai ner of HL68. In fact, Employee #3, who had not been trained in hazardous materia ls, brought back a 55 gallon drum of sodium chlorite (in black 150-A). Employee #4 placed the pump into the new chemical and turned it on while Employee #1 held the hose. The sodium chlorite caused an adverse reaction when it was mixed with
Victims (10)
-
#1 Fatality Age 43 F
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 12
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#10 Hospitalized Age 30 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 774
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 43 F
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 26
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 26
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 47 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 22 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 42 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 42 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 764
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#8 Hospitalized Age 43 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 774
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#9 Hospitalized Age 28 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 796
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2310
- 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.