OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14489678
R N H CORPORATION
CANASTOTA, NY—
Event description
Seven injured after inhaling hydrochloric acid
Investigation abstract
Employees #1 through #7 were preparing a plastic molding machine that had been r unning polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at 350 degrees F to run nylon at 500 degrees F. During the changeover, the purging step to remove PVC remaining in the molding m achine was inadvertently left out. When the hot nylon hit the PVC in the machine , hydrochloric acid was formed through the thermal decomposition of PVC. The hyd rochloric acid escaped into the workplace, exposing Employees #1 through #7 to a level that exceeded its ceiling limit. The employees suffered injuries to their eyes, throats, and lungs and were hospitalized. Employees #1 through #7 were no t equipped with ppe.
Victims (7)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 40 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 35 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 35 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 40 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 40 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#7 Hospitalized Age 35 F
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 55
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 1430
- 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.