Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire · Fractures
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Airgas USA LLC, 1405 West Walnut Street, SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI 65806
on — Fractures, affecting the leg(s), unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee was filling a cylinder with a mixture of CO2 and argon gas. The cylinder ruptured and the bottom of the cylinder fractured the employee's left leg.
An employee was rolling a liquid gas cylinder from a lift gate to a gas supply room when he lost his footing and fell backwards. He reached up to regain his balance and pulled the cylinder over onto his leg, fracturing his tibia and fibula.
An employee was moving a liquid nitrogen round cylinder onto a special delivery cart to hook the top of the cylinder into place when a cylinder moved and caught the employee's fingers between it and the cart. The employee's right third and fourth fingertips were amputated.
An employee was using an air compressor on a multi-wheel tire when the flange and the tire burst, causing the wheel's lock ring to strike the employee in the face. He sustained a laceration and facial fractures.
An employee was changing the connection to a compressed nitrogen tank when the system failed and exploded. One employee suffered a concussion and was hospitalized. The other employee sustained soft tissue injuries that did not require hospitalization.
An employee was putting air in a tire that was mounted on a customer's vehicle when the tire exploded, resulting in a left arm fracture that required hospitalization.
On October 24, 2023, at 12:00 PM, an employee was visually checking a gauge on the "U" controller when a pressure tank exploded. The employee was hospitalized with multiple facial fractures and required surgery.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 424690)
An employee was servicing a bypass feeder system. The system released hot water onto the employee, resulting in first- and second-degree burns to his face, chest, right arm, and both hands.
An employee was cleaning a formic acid hose with water when formic acid splashed his right shoulder, both arms, and his face under his face shield. He was hospitalized.
A driver had just climbed out of a truck. He stepped back to close the door and his foot went into a low spot on the ground. He fell backward onto an incline, rolled, and suffered a compound fracture to the wrist. He was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was walking between two tanks when he stepped into a sump pit that was missing its metal grate. His leg was submerged in sulfuric acid, and he suffered chemical burns to the lower part of his right foot. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was delivering pool chemicals from a tanker truck when the pipe connection broke. The employee sustained chemical burns from the sodium hypochlorite.
An employee was readjusting a safety hook to remove hardware from gang forms when his feet slipped. He fell to the ground, resulting in a broken left arm and wrist.
An employee was on a step ladder in a store aisle, making room on shelving for merchandise. She fell from the step ladder to the floor, suffering two fractures in her left leg. She was hospitalized, requiring surgery.
An employee was closing the side cargo door to a company van. The tip of his finger got caught between the door and the door jamb, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee lost his footing while climbing an inclined ladder. He stumbled down one step and was able to stabilize himself by holding the railing and twisting his body, but he suffered an internal abdominal injury and was hospitalized.