OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #899013
RESPIRATORY,HYDROGEN SULFIDE,INHALATION,STORAGE TANK,RUPTURE,CHEMICAL REACTION,TOXIC FUMES,ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE
Event description
TEN EMPLOYEES INJURED WHEN EXPOSED TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS
Investigation abstract
AT 10 A.M. ON MAY 4, 1988, TEN EMPLOYEES WERE HOSPITALIZED AS A RESULT OF HYDROG ATIONS ALONG THE PATH OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM TO THE WASTE TREATMENT PLANT. EN SULFIDE EXPOSURE AT WESTVACO. A FAILURE OF THE #2 STORAGE TANK CAUSED APPROXI MATELY 300,000 GALLONS OF GREEN LIQUOR TO SPILL INTO A RIVER AND STORM DRAINAGE SEWER SYSTEM. THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS LOCATED AROUND THE STORAGE TANKS AND CONTIN UES TOWARD THE RECOVERY BUILDING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS TO COLL ECT RUN-OFF FROM OPERATIONS LOCATED ALONG THE SYSTEM. SOME OF THE OPERATIONS DIS CHARGE ACIDS INTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. GREEN LIQUOR WAS SPILLED INTO THE DRAINAG E SYSTEM WHEN THE TANK RUPTURED. THE GREEN LIQUOR COMBINED WITH ACID IN THE DRAI NAGE SYSTEM TO FORM HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS. EMPLOYEES WERE AFFECTED AT VARIOUS LOC
Victims (10)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#10 Hospitalized Age 36 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#8 Hospitalized Age 34 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#9 Hospitalized Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- 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.