Accident: 170167316 - Burned When Sprayed By Flaming Gasoline

Employee #1 had removed an old fuel pump and had placed the tank on his workbench, intending to install a new one. Gasoline was stored nearby in an open container. He was using a battery charger to test the new fuel pump when sparks from the charger ignited fumes from the gasoline. The burning gas sprayed all over the front of his clothing. He suffered second- and third-degree burns on his arms, face, hands, and chest.

burn, gasoline, non-approved gas can, flammable vapors, arm, hand, spark, battery charger, chest, work rules

Accident: 170830681 - Injured In Battery Explosion

Employee #1 was assigned by his operations manager to start up the crane carrier on an old crane that was being sold. The battery that was in the crane carrier was dead and needed to be jump started. Employee #1 hooked the cables of a Quick Start 12-volt heavy duty battery charger up to the terminals of the battery in the engine compartment. He descended from the crane carrier and started up the battery charger. He then went back to the engine compartment and took the hot ground wires from the starter on the carrier motor and struck them together so he could start the motor. The 12-volt battery exploded and covered his face and eyes with sulfuric acid. He was not wearing the provided eye protection. He received caustic burns and was hospitalized.

work rules, battery charger, eye, explosion, sulfuric acid, battery, chemical burn, face, caustic, jump start

Accident: 170804058 - Back Lacerated Backing Into Battery Charger

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on September 16, 1994, Employee #1 was backing up a Raymond stand-up type forklift to charge it on a wall-mounted battery charger. She misjudged the distance and her back struck against the charger, resulting in lacerations. Employee #1 spent the night in the hospital, and was treated and released.

industrial truck, laceration, inattention, backing up, battery charger, collision, back, struck against

Accident: 170738371 - Ten Inhale Smoke From Fire

At approximately 6:20 a.m. on June 3, 1994, Employee #1 checked the charging of a sodium sulfur battery-powered vehicle. Everything checked out OK. At 6:30 a.m., Employee #2 heard a sizzling sound outside Annex IV where the vehicle was charging. Smelling a sulfur odor, Employee #2 rolled up the garage door, saw flames on the driver's side back wheel well, and grabbed the ABC extinguisher. The extinguisher was ineffective. Employee #2 went in the building and told one person to call 911 and a second person to call Employee #1. Before the fire department arrived, Employees #2, #4, #8, and #10 fought the fire with the ABC extinguisher, Halons, and two dry chemical extinguishers. At 6:40 a.m., Employees #1 and #7 moved the vehicle away from the Annex IV building. At approximately 6:45 a.m., the fire department arrived. The fire fighters reviewed MSDS and phoned ABB for fire fighting advice. Employees #6 and #9 opened the back doors of the vehicle for the fire department to spray inside with water. Then the fire department took over. Employees #1 through #10 were treated for smoke inhalation. Annex IV was evacuated and the building's HVAC shut down. HAZMAT and AQMD responded. The employer was cited for violations of T8CCR 3203(a)(7)(D), general; 3220(c)(1), general; 3203(4)(B), serious; and 5144(c), serious.

fire, smoke inhalation, emergency response, respirator, work rules, sulfur, vehicle, battery, battery charger

Accident: 201560059 - Burned When Battery Explodes During Recharging

Employee #1 sustained burns when a golf cart battery that was being recharged exploded.

chemical burn, battery, explosion, caustic, battery charger, corrosive

Accident: 767715 - Overexposed To Acid Fumes From Overcharged Battery

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on July 29, 1991, Employees #1 through #8 reported for work. The employees were at their respective departments when they began to experience headaches, sore throats, and teary eyes. Sulfuric acid from a cracked battery that had been left to charge overnight had boiled over during the charging process and entered the building's ventilation system through a hole directly above the stairwell where the charging was being done. The City of Texarkana's Emergency Response Team was contacted for assistance. Employees #1 through #8 were hospitalized at Red River Hospital.

emergency response, overexposure, battery charger, toxic fumes, sulfuric acid, chemical vapor, headache, throat, battery, inhalation