Accident: 896811 - Two Die Of Burns In Boiler Fire

Employees #1 and #2 were working from a manbasket suspended from a crane, disassembling the #2 fuel boiler silo. A fire ignited, and both workers suffered fatal burns.

construction, boiler, silo, crane, fire, burn, elevated work plat, personnel cage, combustible dust

Accident: 200640886 - Explosion At Electric Power Generation Plant

Employees at an electric power generation plant were starting up a boiler. As the burner operator was cracking the air register, an explosion occurred. Most of the blast went east of the plant, but debris was found on the north and west sides also. Asbestos was released during the explosion. One employee received first- and second-degree steam burns on his arms and neck. He was taken to the hospital, treated, and released. Another employee received only minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for observation. He was later released.

explosion, boiler, elec utility work, burn, contusion, asbestos

Accident: 170571574 - Killed In Fall From Scaffold

Employee #1 was on a scaffold, raking ashes in a boiler, when he fell 60 ft to the ground. He was killed.

fall, scaffold, construction, boiler, cleaning, fall protection, guardrail, work rules, elevated work plat

Accident: 200540201 - Killed In Boiler Explosion

Two employees were preparing a boiler for startup when it exploded. One of the employees died of injuries he sustained in the explosion. (The original form did not state whether the second employee was injured.)

explosion, boiler, fracture, elec utility work, maintenance

Accident: 170006506 - Boiler Operator Dies Of Natural Causes

On June 23, 1997, Employee #1, a boiler operator, died at a boiler station. The Spokane County Coroner attributed his death to natural causes.

boiler

Accident: 200350296 - One Killed, Six Injured In Boiler Explosion

Employees #1 through #7 were performing maintenance work on the #3 power boiler. They were hoping to restart it so that they could continue a fuel transfer from natural gas to #6 fuel oil. An explosion occurred, killing Employee #1 and injuring the six other employees. Employee #2 was hospitalized; the remaining workers were treated and released.

boiler, explosion, maintenance, fuel oil, natural gas, high pressure

Accident: 201270311 - Burned By Green Liquid From Recovery Boiler

Employees #1 and three coworkers sustained burns when green liquid bubbled up through the down flow pipe from the recovery boiler as it discharged into the green liquid tank.

burn, boiler, tank, high temperature, storage tank

Accident: 14392807 - Dies After Fall Into Machine, Possible Heart Attack

At 11:48 a.m. on December 31, 1996, the body of Employee #1, a boiler fireman's helper, was discovered in the vicinity of the head spool. There were no witnesses to the accident but it is believed that Employee #1 was trying to retrieve a pitchfork from the feed chain when he fell in. He may have suffered a heart attack.

fall, heart attack, boiler, work rules

Accident: 171016066 - Killed Or Overcome By Carbon Monoxide

The worksite was a state penitentiary ash silo that received and stored ash from two boilers until it was transported elsewhere. The outside temperature was minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit when inmates began to empty ash out of the silo. Earlier in the week, however, several boiler tubes had ruptured, sending an unusual amount of wet ash and unburnt coal into the silo, freezing and plugging the outlet. Employee #2 decided to enter the silo and ram out the obstruction from the inside. Employee #1 saw Employee #2 collapse, and called for help before entering to rescue him. Employees #3, #4, and #7 then entered the silo to help. None of the employees realized that carbon monoxide had built up in the silo due to smoldering ash and unburnt coal. Employees #9, #10, and #25 through #29, city fire fighters, were also exposed to carbon monoxide while rescuing Employees #1 through #3. The three workers were, by then, unconscious, and they all died. Later that same day, Employees #6, #8, and #11 through #29 were exposed to carbon monoxide when the conveying system for sending ash to the silo was opened up for maintenance. Employees #6, #8, #11, and #12 were hospitalized for overexposure. The system had been in operation for 16 years and was not perceived as a hazard. Employees routinely entered the ash silo to clean it out or to unplug it.

overexposure, carbon monoxide, silo, confined space, ventilation, inhalation, chemical vapor, boiler, clogged, work rules