Exposure through intact tissue · Chemical burns, corrosions degree unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at American Equipment Systems, LLC, 443 Airport Industrial Park Road, PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA 26101
on — Chemical burns, corrosions degree unspecified, affecting the Leg(s) unspecified.
Final narrative
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.
Hospitalized Leg(s) unspecified Chemicals and hazardous materials unspecified
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 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.
An employee was working to dilute and refill a spray bottle of antibacterial all-purpose cleaner. Some of the corrosive chemical spilled on the employee's shirt that was already wet from water. The employee sustained a bacterial infection and chemical burn to their abdominal area, requiring hospitalization.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 333997)
An employee was standing behind a pickup truck and guiding it into tight work area. The employee was struck and pinned by the truck, resulting in a broken femur.
An employee was using a band saw to cut an I-beam when his left index finger was caught under the I-beam and roller, resulting in a partial amputation.
An employee was carrying tools while walking down concrete steps. When he placed his left foot on the third step, he slipped and tried to catch himself by putting his right foot on the step below. His right foot landed awkwardly on the step, resulting in two broken bones in his right leg. He was hospitalized for surgery.
An employee was using a saw. As the employee tried to remove the trim piece with his left hand, the clamp closed and pinched his left index finger between the clamp and the material causing an amputation of the distal phalanx.
An employee was conducting routine maintenance on a mixer. New lid pins had been installed, and the employee was rotating by hand to ensure they had been installed correctly. The employee's left middle finger was caught between the lid and top of a pin. The momentum from the mixer continued, causing a crushing injury to the finger. The employee underwent a medical amputation from the top knuckle to the tip of the finger.
An employee was climbing down a 15-foot multipurpose ladder. The employee fell about 8 feet, landing on the concrete floor and the ladder itself. The employee suffered several injuries, all on the right side: broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken temporal bone, broken shoulder, multiple fractures to the cheekbone, and a brain bleed.
An employee was rolling up the landing gear on his trailer when the handle began to unwind and struck his face, fracturing his jaw. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.