OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14549935
AAA CONSTRUCTION INC
MEMPHIS, TN—
Event description
LACQUER THINNER VAPORS IGNITED, BURNING EMPLOYEES
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEE #1 AND EMPLOYEE #2 WERE STRIPPING FINISH FROM A KITCHEN CABINET AT 4861 D FROM VAPOR ACCUMULATION FROM THE LACQUER THINNER IN THE AIR CONDITIONING AND H EATING SYSTEM. EAST SHORE DRIVE. THEY WERE USING A LACQUER THINNER. A FLASH FIRE, SUSPECTED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING SYSTEM, BROKE OUT AND SPREAD T O THE KITCHEN. EMPLOYEE #1 RAN TO THE BACK DOOR, WHICH WAS DEADBOLTED. EMPLOYEE #2 RAN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. WHEN EMPL OYEE #2 GOT OUT AND NOTICED THAT EMPLOYEE #1 WAS NOT AROUND, HE RAN TO THE BACK DOOR. EMPLOYEE #2 KICKED IN THE BACK DOOR AND WAS ABLE TO GET EMPLOYEE #1 OUT. E MPLOYEE #1 WAS SEVERELY BURNED OVER 75% OF HIS BODY. EMPLOYEE #2 SUSTAINED MINOR BURNS ON HIS RIGHT ARM AND SHOULDER. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE FLASH FIRE STARTE
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 569
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 10
- Hazardous substance
- 0460
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 2
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 16
- Occupation code
- 569
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 10
- Hazardous substance
- 0460
- 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.