OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14223614
JOHN WEND & SONS
WABASH, IN—
Event description
BACKFIRE THROUGH CARBURETOR IGNITED GAS VAPORS, CAUSED FIRE
Investigation abstract
ON JULY 8, 1985, AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM, EMPLOYEE #1 ATTEMPTED TO START THE EN GINE ON A HIGHWAY TRUCK (1963 F-300 FORD). HE WAS ASSISTED BY ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. WHEN THE TRUCK FAILED TO START, EMPLOYEE #1 PUT SOME GASOLINE INTO AN OPEN-TOP C AN AND POURED SOME INTO THE CARBURETOR. THE IGNITION WAS ON AND THE ENGINE CRANK ING. THE ENGINE BACKFIRED, IGNITING THE VAPORS. APPARENTLEY, EMPLOYEE #1 JERKED HIS HAND BACK WHEN THE VAPORS IGNITED, SPLASHING GASOLINE ON HIS CLOTHING. HIS C LOTHING THEN CAUGHT FIRE. HE WAS BADLY BURNED ON THE UPPER PORTION OF HIS BODY A ND HIS FACE. HE WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO ST. JOSEPHS HOSPITAL, BURN UNIT, IN FORT WAYNE. HE DIED IN THE HOSPITAL ON JULY 17, 1985.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 516
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 10
- Hazardous substance
- 1340
- Task assigned
- 2
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.