OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14542153
SHONEY'S
CUMMING, GA—
Event description
EMPLOYEE PURPOSELY INHALED NITROUS OXIDE; ASPHYXIATED
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEE #1 WAS EMPLOYED AS A PORTER AT A RESTAURANT. HIS JOB WAS TO CLEAN THE E NTIRE RESTAURANT AFTER IT HAD CLOSED. HE WAS IN THE RESTAURANT ALONE FROM MIDNIG HT TO 5 AM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT, EMPLOYEE #1 FILLED A PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG WITH NITROUS OXIDE (LAUGHING GAS) AND PLACED IT OVER HIS H EAD. HE APPARENTLY PASSED OUT AND FELL TO THE FLOOR WITH THE PLASTIC BAG STILL S EALED OVER HIS HEAD. HE WAS DISCOVERED BY ANOTHER WORKER AT ABOUT 5 AM. THE NITR OUS OXIDE WAS USED TO CHARGE THE WHIPPED CREAM DISPENSER. THERE WERE TWO CYLINDE RS OF IT ON HAND IN THE STORAGE ROOM. CAUSE OF DEATH WAS DETERMINED TO BE ASPHYX IATION.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 21 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 19
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1953
- 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.