Exposure through intact tissue · Chemical burns, corrosions degree unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Apex Waste - Infinite Disposal, 2400 Block of N Chelton Rd, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO 80909
on — Chemical burns, corrosions degree unspecified, affecting the Multiple body parts n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee was loading trash into a rear-load trash truck from a residential trash can. The hopper of the truck was nearly full so the employee compressed the trash with the blade of the truck to make room in the hopper. As the trash was compressed, a black liquid sprayed out from the truck and onto the employee. The liquid was later determined to be a highly concentrated sulfuric acid that was in a plastic container inside a paper bag in a trash bin. The employee was hospitalized with chemical burns to their face, arms, and abdomen.
Hospitalized Multiple body parts n.e.c. Sulfuric acid
An employee was removing a hose from a chemical tank after filling the tank with hexamethylenediamine (HMD). He checked the line to ensure that the hose was clear, then disconnected the hose at the connection. Residual chemical sprayed onto his face, causing a second-degree burn. He was hospitalized.
A shipping/receiving operator was working on a loading rack, loading a railcar. A 2-inch discharge cap failed and released pressure along with sulfuric acid from the railcar. The acid sprayed onto the employee, who suffered burns to the chest and the lower facial area. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was pressure washing truck scales when they were splashed with water and an unknown chemical on their leg and immediately experienced a burning sensation. The employee was hospitalized with a chemical burn and required surgery.
An employee was on a ladder disconnecting a 1-inch hose, known to have last carried acrylic acid that had been drained. When the hose was disconnected, residual acid dripped onto the employee's shoulder/arm area, causing a second-degree chemical burn.
Employees were removing scaffolding that was used to repair an ion exchange tank. The line was undergoing the regen process when a piece of scaffold struck a PVC pipe that transported hydrochloric acid (HCl). The injured employee was placing material inside a scaffold rack when he was sprayed in the face with HCl and sustained chemical burns to his eyes, face, chest, right arm, and left leg.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 562111)
An employee was operating the compaction levers on a truck when a motor vehicle crashed into the back of the stopped truck. The employee sustained fractured ribs and contusions.
A maintenance employee was moving a forklift from the loading dock when the forklift fell off the dock. The employee was struck by the overhead portion of the roll bar, injuring his right knee. He was hospitalized and underwent surgery.
An employee was standing on the driver side rear step of a trash truck while traveling down a road to collect residential trash. The employee went to signal the driver and slipped off the step while the truck was traveling 8-9 miles per hour. He fell 18 inches to the ground and was hospitalized with a fractured ankle that required surgery.
An employee was delivering materials. He was doing his pre-delivery inspection on the roof of the jobsite (a warehouse) when he fell through a plexiglass skylight. He landed on his feet on the concrete floor 14 feet below. The employee sustained fractures to his spine, left ulnar/radius, and right heel. The employee required surgery.
An employee was removing packaging from a roll of printing substrate. The blade of their utility knife got stuck. The employee used both hands to free the knife and the blade partially amputated their left little fingertip.
A concrete batch plant operator was assisting with clearing spoil piles using a skid steer. The skid steer backed into a stationary screen plant. The employee's left little finger was crushed between the controls of the skid steer and the screen plant, resulting in a fracture and laceration. The employee's finger was surgically amputated.
An employee was standing on an extension ladder, using a torquing tool to remove bolts that secured blades to a rotor. When the torquing tool activated, its reaction arm came around and pinched the employee's right middle finger against a lifting eye. His fingertip was amputated.