OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #996843
BURN,CHEST,EXHAUST SYSTEM,DUCT,FIRE,CONSTRUCTION,BACK,COMBUSTIBLE DUST,ARC WELDING,LEG
Event description
Employee burned in aluminum dust flash fire
Investigation abstract
At approximately 1:00 p.m. on May 16, 1990, Employee #1 started welding cable tr in fighting the fire and rescuing Employee #1. They were checked over at the ho spital; none sustained burns. Contributing factors may have been the failure to implement and train employees on hazard communication standards and that the wel ding was allowed to take place where combustibles or dust concentrations created a hazard. ay brackets and conduit pipe supports with a Lincoln arc welder #6251. Welding w as taking place on the inside wall of the building and Employee #1 was standing on top of an exhaust duct leading to the outside of the building. This exhaust d uct came from a wet type dust collection machine called a Type N Roto-Clone. The duct carried aluminum fines and dust. Due to a gap in this duct, aluminum fines were dispersed into open air. Welding sparks ignited the dust and fines, which created a fireball. Employee #1 was engulfed in flames and sustained second- and third-degree burns to his legs, back, and chest. Employees #2 through #7 helped
Victims (7)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 38 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 46 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 576
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 36 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Non-hospitalized injury Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 576
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Non-hospitalized injury Age 50 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Non-hospitalized injury Age 37 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
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