OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14566855
ABCO INDUSTRIES, INC.
ROEBUCK, SC—
Event description
BURNED FROM EXPOSURE TO SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Investigation abstract
ON FEBRUARY 20, 1985, TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ADDING DRY CAUSTIC (SODIUM HYDROXIDE) T EN GIVEN TO EITHER OF THE EMPLOYEES. O A 1,500 GALLON MIXING VESSEL. THE VESSEL CONTAINED A DILUTE CAUSTIC SOLUTION H EATED TO 115 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE OPENING TO THE MIXING VESSEL IS LOCATED ON THE SECOND LEVEL OF POLYMER PLANT "A". THE CAUSTIC WAS CONTAINED IN A 35 GALLON OPEN-HEAD DRUM. THE TWO EMPLOYEES LIFTED THE DRUM AND DUMPED IT'S ENTIRE CONTENT S INTO THE VESSEL. A SPONTANEOUS REACTION OCCURRED, BLOWING THE MATERIAL OUT OF THE VESSEL ONTO EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CLOSEST TO THE VESSEL OPENI NG AND RECEIVED CHEMICAL BURNS OVER 40% OF HIS BODY. EMPLOYEE #2 WAS BURNED OVER 20% OF HIS BODY. PROPER INSTRUCTION IN THE HANDLING OF SOLID CAUSTIC HAD NOT BE
Victims (2)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 36 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 224
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- Hazardous substance
- 2260
- Task assigned
- 2
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 4
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 9
- Occupation code
- 224
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 9
- 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.