105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #943043

METHYLENE CHLORIDE,HAZARDOUS WASTE,CARBON MONOXIDE,NAUSEA,TRUCK,POISONING,CHEMICAL

Event
METHYLENE CHLORIDE,HAZARDOUS WASTE,CARBON MONOXIDE,NAUSEA,TRUCK,POISONING,CHEMICAL
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
943043
Report ID
453710

Event description

FOUR POLICE OFFICERS EXPOSED TO HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

Investigation abstract

On May 8, 1989, four police officers, Employees #1, #2, #3, and #4 performing po cal for methylene chloride. lice response duties entered a chemical hot zone containing opened and scattered containers of hazardous chemical waste substances after a truck wrecked off of Interstate 85. Employees #1, #2, #3, and #4 had delayed illnesses and were later observed at a hospital. Employees #1, #2, #3, and #4 were examined on the suspi cion of methylene chloride in their bloodstream. Two employees had elevated leve ls of carbon monoxide in their bloodstream. Employees #1, #2, #3, and #4 suffere d nausea, flushed face with some mucous discharges of blood. One employee felt l ike his skin was covered with fiberglass. The delay in system poisoning was typi

Victims (5)

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 31 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    25
    Event type
    8
    Source
    40
    Occupation code
    423
    Human factor
    19
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1730
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 26 F

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    25
    Event type
    8
    Source
    40
    Occupation code
    423
    Human factor
    19
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1730
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 35 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    25
    Event type
    8
    Source
    40
    Occupation code
    423
    Human factor
    19
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1730
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 24 M

    Nature of injury
    17
    Part of body
    25
    Event type
    8
    Source
    40
    Occupation code
    423
    Human factor
    19
    Environmental factor
    7
    Hazardous substance
    1730
    Task assigned
    1
  5. #981 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

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.