Accident: 200961381 - Burned By Hot Asphalt

Employee #1, a truck driver, entered an asphalt batch plant to receive a load of asphalt. The batch plant had silos that dispensed asphalt, and the policy in existence at that time was for trucks to position their vehicles under whichever silo was illuminated. Employee #1 pulled his truck up to silo #1 and positioned it to receive a load of asphalt. The batch operator dumped the contents from silo #2, resulting in approximately 5 tons of 315 degree F asphalt falling onto the hood of Employee #1's truck. The impact kicked out the windshield and hot asphalt entered the cab. Employee #1 sustained severe burns before he could exit to safety. Although the company that owned the batch plant had a policy requiring the batch plant operator to perform a visual inspection before dumping any asphalt, the facility had no photoelectric equipment in place that would ensure the correct positioning of vehicles in relation to the silos. A witness interviewed by the local police department asserted that the #2 silo had been illuminated, and that Employee #1 had positioned his truck incorrectly.

hot asphalt, truck driver, truck, loading, silo, inattention, communication, burn

Accident: 201350311 - Two Burned By Hot Asphalt

On August 14, 1997, Employee #1 was mixing rubber powder with asphalt when he heard a noise coming from one of the pumps. As Employee #1 walked up to the pumps to investigate, a seal broke and he was sprayed with approximately 350 degree F asphalt. Employee #2 was walking by this area as he went from one side of the plant to the other and he was also sprayed with hot asphalt. Both employees sustained burns, but neither was hospitalized.

hot asphalt, equipment failure, struck by, high temperature, burn, accidental discharge, seal, pump

Accident: 14401137 - Killed When Burned By Asphalt

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on July 26, 1997, Employee #1, an asphalt distribution truck operator, was preparing to spray a coarse surface treatment of 365 degree F AC15-5TR asphalt. The asphalt distribution truck had just received approximately 2,000 gallons of AC15 and the onsite Texas DOT inspector had passed its strapping procedure. Standing on the rear ladder behind the distribution truck, Employee #1 began to circulate the asphalt through the spray bars. Approximately 800 gallons of hot asphalt spewed straight up in the air and rained down on top of him, as witnessed by both the job site foreman and the Texas DOT inspector. Employee #1 was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital in Texarkana and then transferred to Children's Hospital Burn Center in Little Rock, AR. He died 13 days later due to complications from burns sustained over 60 percent of his body. The OSHA investigation ascertained that the operator of the distribution truck had not adequately cleaned out the spray bar from the day before. The previous day's operation had used an SS1 emulsion, which is an approximately 40 to 50 percent water-soluble solution. The circulation of this water solution from the spray bar into the 2,000 gallons of 365 degree F asphalt resulted in an immediate steam eruption. The operator also did not close or secure the truck's top hatch. This allowed the asphalt to readily spew out the top. Third, the operator began the circulation manually from behind the truck, rather than from inside the security of his truck cab. According to interviews with other employees, the two distribution truck operators and maintenance employees had been clearly told how to properly clean the distribution truck tanks and spray bars. The plant manager stated that while in the company yard on the evening before the accident, he had personally asked Employee #1 if he had cleaned out his system because he was changing from SS1 to AC15. According to the plant manager, Employee #1 responded that he had. In subsequent CSHO [sic] interviews, employees indicated that the plant manager made a point to ask if they cleaned out their truck systems daily because of safety and quality concerns. In summary, Employee #1 failed to adequately clean out his spray bar after the prior day's work, failed to spray through the spray bar prior to circulation, failed to close and secure the truck's hatch after strapping, and failed to initiate circulation from inside the truck's cab.

hot asphalt, high temperature, construction, explosion, burn, work rules, unsecured, inadequate maint

Accident: 201790250 - Burned When Splashed By Hot Asphalt Tar

Employee #1 was on a seven-story, flat-top roof, carrying open buckets of hot asphalt tar near the piping for solar panels. He set down the bucket in his right hand and was stepping over the pipes when he tripped or bumped against the piping. Hot asphalt tar from the bucket in his left hand splashed onto Employee #1's face, legs, and arm. He was splashed with ice and water from a cooler, and was then transported to the hospital. Employee #1 was not wearing face or eye protection, or body protection such as a long-sleeved shirt, while carrying open containers of hot asphalt tar. The employer was cited for violations of T8CCR 342(A), regulatory, for not reporting the injury; T8CCR 1509(A), general, for not having a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP); T8CCR 1509(B), general, for having no written code of safe practices for roofing operations; T8CCR 5194(E)(1), general, for having no written hazard communication program; T8CCR 1522(B), serious, for allowing employees to wear inappropriate clothing; and T8CCR 1516, serious, for not enforcing that face and eye protection be worn.

construction, roof, asphalt, hot asphalt, hot tar, tripped, ppe, work rules, burn, protective clothing

Accident: 201060563 - Three Burned By Hot Asphalt

Employee #1 had worn out a nylon mop used to apply hot asphalt tar. When he went to get another one, he did not notice that a can of spray material was stuck to the mop. Employee #1 returned to the roof and stuck the mop in the 400 degree Fahrenheit asphalt. The can exploded and hot asphalt splashed on Employees #1 through #3, all of whom suffered second-degree burns. No violations of Title 8 were found.

construction, asphalt, hot asphalt, hot tar, explosion, burn, high temperature, inattention, roof

Accident: 201120227 - Burned By Hot Asphalt In Same-Level Fall

Employee #1 was carrying buckets of hot asphalt across a flat roof when his shoelaces became entangled in his boot hooks. He tripped and fell, splashing asphalt all over himself. Employee #1 suffered third-degree burns over various parts of his body.

hot asphalt, roof, tripped, fall, entangled, spill, burn, construction

Accident: 170864037 - Mechanic Burned, Later Dies, In Tank Trailer Explosion

At approximately 4:45 p.m. on March 4, 1997, Employee #1, a mechanic, was using an oxygen-acetylene torch to melt solid asphalt from outside the inner shell of a 42 ft tank trailer. A coworker had previously used the trailer to haul approximately 400 lb of asphalt. The coworker had then poured 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 gallons of diesel fuel into the top of the tank trailer to flush out the internal piping, discharge valve, and discharge hose before driving the empty trailer truck into the employer's yard. Employee #1 had partially stripped exterior sheet metal and insulation from the tank trailer and was starting to remove the solid asphalt when it exploded. The explosion separated the trailer into three sections and heavily damaged the shop building where it was parked. Employee #1 sustained burns over 85 percent of his body and died on march 11, 1997. He did not attempt to inert or purge the tank, or to test for flammable or combustible vapors, before he began working with the torch.

explosion, flammable vapors, work rules, flammable liquid, asphalt, acetylene torch, tank truck, burn, fire, mechanic