OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14371678
COCA COLA BOTTLING OF CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI, OH—
Event description
EXPOSURE TO CHLORINE GAS
Investigation abstract
THIS EVENT OCCURRED AT A SOFT DRINK BOTTLING PLANT. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS IN THE PROCE ATED RESPIRATORY TRACTS, ALONG WITH COUGHING AND DIFFICULTY TAKING DEEP BREATHS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED: A CYLINDER VALVE THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO COMPLETEL Y CLOSE; A MALFUNCTIONING "EMPTY" INDICATOR; A LACK OF SCALES AND A LACK OF LEAK CHECKS. SS OF DISCONNECTING A COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDER CONTAINING CHLORINE FROM A MODEL # 91-100 WALLACE AND TIERNAN GAS CHLORINATION UNIT. THE EMPLOYEE THOUGHT THAT HE H AD TURNED THE TOP VALVE HANDLE ON THE SUPPOSEDLY EMPTY COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDER T O THE CLOSED POSITION, BUT CHLORINE GAS CAME HISSING OUT OF THE CYLINDER WHEN HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOMATIC CHANGE-OVER UNIT FROM THE CYLINDER. EMPLOYEE #3 HAPP ENED TO BE WORKING ON A LADDER NEAR THE CHLORINE ROOM WHEN THE LEAK OCCURRED. EM PLOYEE #2 APPROACHED THE CHLORINE ROOM IN ORDER TO EVALUATE AND ASSESS THE SITUA TION. THE INJURED EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED BURNING, TEARING EYES AND BURNING, IRRIT
Victims (3)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 40 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 8
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 40 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 8
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 40 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 8
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 0640
- 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.