OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #992859
WORK RULES,INHALATION,GAS,CHLORINE,GAS LEAK,TOXIC FUMES,COMMUNICATION
Event description
Employee injured after inhaling chlorine gas
Investigation abstract
On February 18, 1987, Employee #1 and a water/sewer operator trainee changed a c yee #1 was treated for chlorine gas inhalation at the hospital and released. At the time of the inspection, the employee was off from work. hlorine gas cylinder. The employee leak tested the system with ammonia and, dete cting no leaks, put a chlorine gas cylinder "on line" at 9:00 a.m. A water/sewer operator checked the chlorine monitor at 12:00 midnight. At approximately 6:00 a.m., the paging system alerted the water sewer operator of an activated alarm, but he did not respond. After 30 minutes, the paging service alerted Employee #1 and the trainee. Employee #1 arrived first and entered the panel room. Smelling chlorine, he went into the maintenance room to telephone for help. In approxima tely 10 minutes, two coworkers arrived and telephoned the fire department. Emplo
Victim
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 56 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 6
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 303
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
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