Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14443816

UNION CAMP CORP FINE PAPER DIV

Event
BURN, MAINTENANCE, PPE, SCREW CONVEYOR, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, CLOGGED, HIGH TEMPERATURE, HOT WATER
NAICS
000000
Inspection type
Accident-driven
Activity number
#3308293
Employer profile
UNION CAMP CORP FINE PAPER DIV
Summary number
14443816
Report ID
355112

Event description

One killed, four burned by hot water and wood pulp slurry

Investigation abstract

At 2:40 p.m. on May 5, 1985, just before the shift change, Employees #1 through #5 (three from the first shift and two from the second shift) were trying to bre ak up a clog in a BD-2 crossover conveyer. The employees had opened the access p lates on top of the 18-in. screw conveyor and were using aluminum rods and water hoses to break up the clog, which resulted when a chain drive on the conveyer b roke. The clog broke up suddenly and a slurry of hot water and wood pulp gushed out the open access plates. Employees #1 through #5 sustained first-, second-, a nd third-degree burns over 35 to 70 percent of their bodies. Employee #1 was kil led, and Employees #1 through #4 were hospitalized.

Victims (5)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 26 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    41
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    20
    Environmental factor
    18
    Task assigned
    2
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 48 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    41
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    20
    Environmental factor
    18
    Task assigned
    2
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    41
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    20
    Environmental factor
    18
    Task assigned
    2
  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    41
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    20
    Environmental factor
    18
    Task assigned
    2
  5. #5 Hospitalized Age 31 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    41
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    20
    Environmental factor
    18
    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.