OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14557417
AA OILFIELD SERVICE INC
HOBBS, NM—
Event description
EMPLOYEES EXPOSED TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEES OF THE AA OILFIELD SERVICE COMPANY, HOBBS, NEW MEXICO, WERE CLEANING A HE ACIDIZING FIRM, ENTERED THE PIT TO RESCUE EMPLOYEE #1. HE WAS ALSO OVERCOME A ND KILLED. EMPLOYEE #5, WHO WORKED FOR THE ACIDIZING FIRM AND EMPLOYEE #6, WHO W ORKED FOR THE WASTE FACILITY, ALSO ATTEMPTED RESCUES AND WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR E XPOSURE. EMPLOYEE #3, WHO WAS A DEPUTY SHERIFF, WAS HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING EXP OSED TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE EMMANATING FROM THE CLOTHING OF INJURED EMPLOYEES. EMPL OYEE #4, A FIREFIGHTER, WAS HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO HYDROGEN SULFIDE EMMANATING FROM HIS OWN CLOTHES AFTER HE RECOVERED THE BODY OF EMPLOYEE #1. FIV E OTHER FIREFIGHTERS AND SHERRIF'S DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL COMPLAINED OF HEADACHES FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, BUT THEY WERE NOT HOSPITALIZED. DISPOSAL PIT AT THEIR OILFIELD WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY. EMPLOYEES OF THE ACID E NGINEERING COMPANY, ALSO FROM HOBBS, ARRIVED WITH A TRUCKLOAD OF ACIDIC RINSINGS FOR DISPOSAL. A DECISION WAS MADE TO USE THE ACIDIC RINSINGS TO CLEAR THE PIT. THE PIT CONTAINED IRON AND OTHER SULFIDES. HYDROCHLORIC ACID WAS ADDED TO THE PI T TO DISSOLVE THE FERROUS SULFIDE. THE EMPLOYEES DID NOT KNOW THAT THE PRODUCT O F THE REACTION WOULD BE HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS. EMPLOYEE #1, WHO WORKED AT THE WAS TE FACILITY, REENTERED THE PIT AFTER THE ACID WAS ADDED TO SQUEEGE THE SLUDGE. H E WAS OVERCOME AND KILLED BY THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE. EMPLOYEE #2, WHO WORKED FOR T
Victims (6)
-
#1 Fatality Age 32 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 35
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Fatality Age 23 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 35
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 54 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 35
- Occupation code
- 423
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 35
- Occupation code
- 417
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#5 Hospitalized Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 35
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#6 Hospitalized Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 17
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 8
- Source
- 35
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 7
- Hazardous substance
- 1480
- 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.