OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221549694

R. M. PALMER COMPANY

WEST READING, PA— 2023-03-24T00:00:00

Event: Building Collapse, Burn, Collapse, Crushed, Defect, Defective, Electrical, Explosion, Fire, Flying Object, Food processing, Gas, Gas Leak, High Pressure, Ignite, Ignition, Inspecting, Leak, Multi-employer Worksite, Multiemployer, Natural Gas, Smoke, Struck Against, Struck By, Structural Collapse
NAICS: 311351
Inspection type: Federal Agency
Activity number: #346590631
Employer profile: R. M. PALMER COMPANY
Summary number: 221549694
Report ID: 0316700

Event description

Seven employees die, three are injured in natural gas explos

Investigation abstract

At 5:00 p.m. on March 24, 2023, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were in the basement Manager, HR Director, two Foilers, two Packers and one Maintenance worker were killed. In addition, three employees who worked as a Demolder/Line Tech, a Packer and a Utitilties Laborer, as well as one contractor, were hospitalized. Also, three employees were transported to the hospital, where there were treated and released. Building #2, which is part of a chocolate novelties manufacturer site, reportedly investigating a gas leak. Employee #3 and Coworker #1 (Contractor) were outside Building #2 observing and getting fresh air due to the gas odor. Employee #4 and Employee #5 were entering the building from the first floor. Employee #6, Employee #7, Employee #8, Employee #9 and Employee #10 were inside the building working preparing to change over production lines. The natural gas buildup in the basement of Building #2 exceeded the LEL and made its way to an ignition source resulting in an explosion. Seven employees including the Plant

Victims (10)

#1 Fatality Age 30 F

Event type
14
#10 Hospitalized Age 21 M

Event type
14
#2 Fatality Age 63 F

Event type
11
#3 Fatality Age 62 M

Event type
14
#4 Fatality Age 49 F

Event type
14
#5 Fatality Age 55 F

Event type
14
#6 Hospitalized Age 50 F

Event type
14
#7 Hospitalized Age 27 F

Event type
14
#8 Fatality Age 44 F

Event type
14
#9 Hospitalized Age 27 F

Event type
14

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.