OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #997130
AMERICAN JUICE
GARY, IN·
Event description
AMMONIA CYLINDER RUPTURED; 4 EMPLOYEES EXPOSED TO AMMONIA
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXMATELY 3:15 PM ON MAY 9, 1986, EMPLOYEES OF AMERICAN JUICE CO. INC., ST GAS. EMPLOYEE #1, WHO WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET FROM THE CYLINDER, WAS BURNED IN THE EYES AND BODY AND ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. EMPLOYEE #2 WAS ALSO ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. EMPLOYEES #3 AND #4 WERE BOTH TREATED HAD RELEASED AT THE HOSPITA L. ALL EMPLOYEES OF AMERICAN JUICE REENTERED THE PLANT AT 5 PM. THE ANHYDROUS AM MONIA CYLINDER HAD A 21 INCH LONG SPLIT IN IT, APPROXIMATELY 3 1/2 INCHES WIDE A T THE WIDEST SPOT. ON SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1986, EMPLOYEE #1 DIED AT LOYOLA UNIVERSIT Y BURN CENTER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ARTED TO CHARGE THE NUMBER 1 LINE CARBO-COOLER, USING A CYLINDER CONTAINING 150 POUNDS OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA AT 129 PSI (ROOM TEMPERATURE). EMPLOYEE #1, IN AN EF FORT TO SPEED THE CHARGING PROCESS, WAS ADDING WATER AT 132 DEGREES TO THE AMMON IA CYLINDER (TO RAISE THE INTERNAL PRESSURE). EMPLOYEE #2 WAS WORKING ON 2 MAGNE TIC SWITCHES LOCATED NEAR THE SIGHT GLASS ON THE CARBO-COOLER. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS O PERATING THE #1 LINE FILLER, APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET FROM THE AMMONIA CYLINDER. EM PLOYEE #4 WAS PAINTING IN AISLE #3, APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET FROM THE CYLINDER. AT APPROXIMATELY 3:30 PM THE CYLINDER RUPTURED, PRODUCING A WHITE CLOUD OF AMMONIA
Victims (4)
-
#1 Fatality Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 754
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0170
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 533
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0170
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 8
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 754
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0170
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 8
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 579
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0170
- 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.