OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #993469
CHAUTAUQUA CO DPW ELLERY LAND FILL
GERRY, NY·
Event description
RELEASE OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID CLOUD
Investigation abstract
A COMMERCIAL REFUSE HAULER EMPTIED A LOAD OF REFUSE AT THE LANDFILL FACE. WITHIN E EXPERIENCED BURNING IN HIS EYES AND A SORE THROAT. EMPLOYEE #5 WAS OPERATING A N EARTH MOVER, 30 YARDS DISTANT. HE SUFFERED FROM SORE LUNGS. EMPLOYEE #6 WORKED FOR THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, ABOUT 100 FEET DISTANT. HE EXPERIENCED SORE LUNGS, A SORE NOSE AND SORE EYES. THIS LOAD WAS A 25 GALLON CARBOY OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID. THIS CONTAINER WAS RUN O VER BY A LARGE TRASH COMPACTOR. THE VESSEL RUPTURED, SPRAYING THE ACID INTO THE AIR. A CLOUD OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID WAS FORMED. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS OPERATING A BULLDO ZER (#630) APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AWAY. HE COMPLAINED OF BURNED EYES, THROAT, AN D FACIAL SKIN BURNS. THE OPERATOR OF A COMPACTOR (APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET AWAY) EX PERIENCED A SORE THROAT, BURNING SKIN AND BURNING IN HIS LUNGS. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS SPOTTING TRUCKS ABOUT 10 FEET AWAY. HE HAD SORE LUNGS AND A SORE THROAT. EMPLOYE E #4 WAS SUPERVISING THE CREWS ABOUT 1,000 YARDS DISTANT FROM THE ACID SOURCE. H
Victims (6)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 56 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 44
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1460
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 44
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1460
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 44 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 44
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1460
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 58 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 44
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1460
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 44
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1460
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 39 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 44
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 11
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1460
- 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.