OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14497937
STRACHAN SHIPPING CO
PORT OF HOUSTON, TX—
Event description
PHOSPHINE GAS AND AIR MIXTURE EXPLODED, INJURING EMPLOYEES
Investigation abstract
LONGSHOREMEN WERE POSITIONING A 20 FOOT CARGO CONTAINER IN ORDER TO REMOVE IT FR OM THE CARGO HOLD OF THE SHIP RIONEUQUEN. THE CONTAINER WAS FILLED WITH GASTOXIN , AN ALUMINUM PHOSPHIDE PRODUCT. DUE TO HEAT OR EXPOSURE TO MOISTURE, PHOSPHINE GAS FORMED IN THE CONTAINER. WHEN THE FORK OF A LIFT TRUCK PENETRATED THE CONTAI NER, OUTSIDE AIR WAS PERMITTED TO MIX WITH THE PHOSPHINE GAS. THIS MIXTURE, ALON G WITH AN IGNITION SOURCE, CAUSED AN EXPLOSION. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS KILLED BY FLYING DEBRIS AND EMPLOYEES #2-5 WERE TREATED FOR EXPOSURE TO PHOSPHINE GAS.
Victims (6)
-
#1 Fatality Age 36 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 876
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 876
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 876
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 50 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 876
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 39 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 876
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2080
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
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.