OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14508527
CONTINENTAL GRAIN COMPANY
NORFOLK, VA—
Event description
Employee asphyxiated in corn barge
Investigation abstract
Some employees were unloading a 195-ft by 135-ft grain barge at a Norfolk, VA gr was asphyxiated. Four other employees entered the barge without respiratory prot ection and were transported to, and treated at, a local hospital. Subsequent atm ospheric tests taken 7 to 8 hours later, after the barge had been open for 3 to 4 hours, did not reveal an oxygen deficient atmosphere or any toxic substances. ain elevator. This barge had been loaded with 20 to 21 percent moist yellow fiel d corn on September 1, 1984, at an Elizabeth City, NC grain elevator. It travele d via tug to Norfolk on September 4, 1984. On September 11, 1984, at approximate ly 3:30 am, an employee entered the aft starboard personnel hatch on the barge t o retrieve a rope. Only the center hatch cover (1 of 12 covers) was removed. The employee entered the barge without using a ladder or flashlight. He had conduct ed no atmospheric tests before entry. Within 1 to 2 minutes after entry, the emp loyee called for help. He lost consciousness, landed face down in the corn, and
Victims (5)
-
#1 Fatality Age 48 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 37 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 53 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 7
- 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.