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Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #912550

VENTILATION,IDLH,SODIUM CYANIDE,INHALATION,CHEMICAL REACTION,NITRIC ACID,CYANIDE,INATTENTION,RESPIRATOR

Event
VENTILATION,IDLH,SODIUM CYANIDE,INHALATION,CHEMICAL REACTION,NITRIC ACID,CYANIDE,INATTENTION,RESPIRATOR
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
912550
Report ID
552621

Event description

Eleven employees present during hydrogen cyanide release

Investigation abstract

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on April 13, 1989, Employee #2 accidentally added 5 t the hospital as a precautionary measure. They were evaluated by a doctor and rel eased from the hospital. Employees wearing full-face air line respirators then p roceeded to clean up the area by draining the contents of the tank into four 55 gallon drums. The plant was ventilated; HCN tests were negative; and the employe es were permitted back into the plant. o 9 gallons of concentrated nitric acid to a 200 gallon tank containing 14 to 16 oz of sodium cyanide at the barrel line. Employee #3, without wearing a respira tor or protective clothing, took a detector tube reading over the cyanide tank; the result showed an HCN level greater than 165 mg/m3, which is about three time s the IDLH level of 60 mg/m3. The only other employees near the HCN release were Employee #1 and Employees #4 through #11, who were approximately 70 ft away at a break area. They were told to evacuate the plant immediately. None of the elev en employees experienced any ill health affects, but all were told to report to

Victims (11)

  1. #1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 43 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #10 Non-hospitalized injury Age 33 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #11 Non-hospitalized injury Age 40 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 30 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  5. #3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 49 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  6. #4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 26 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  7. #5 Non-hospitalized injury Age 27 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  8. #6 Non-hospitalized injury Age 39 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  9. #7 Non-hospitalized injury Age 33 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  10. #8 Non-hospitalized injury Age 34 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    9
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

  11. #9 Non-hospitalized injury Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    28
    Event type
    8
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    9
    Hazardous substance
    1440
    Task assigned
    1

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