Accident: 170363154 - Burned By Caustic Mixture

Employee #1, a sanitizer in the juice department of a fruit processing plant, was bailing out tank #1, which was used in the manufacture of fruit juice. This was part of his normal duty of cleaning and sanitizing the juice tanks and pipelines. The bail-out procedure calls for the tank to be filled to the top with cold water and liquid caustic, then heated to 212 degrees F for a given time. Employee #1 was adding the liquid caustic when he ran out, so he went outside to get some dry caustic powder. He turned on the heat to the tank before he left; when he returned, the tank was between 180 and 200 degrees F. Employee #1 poured in approximately 2 lb of caustic powder, which caused an immediate eruption of the liquid in the tank. The caustic mixture splashed all over the left side of his body, and he suffered second-degree burns on his arm, leg, and face. Employee #1 was hospitalized at Gridley Hospital for four days.

chemical, chemical burn, caustic, cleaning, work rules, chemical reaction, hot water

Accident: 120240411 - Burned When Splashed With Chemicals

Early in the morning of November 18, 1999, Employee #1, a 19-year-old temporary worker, was on the graveyard shift as a parts washer at Textron Aerospace. At the start of the shift, his supervisor told him to add caustic soda to dip tank #1, which contained heated, 150 to 160 degrees F, aqueous sodium hydroxide, to adjust the liquid pH into the range between 11and 12. He weighed out approximately 49 lb of solid sodium hydroxide into a plastic container and then manually poured it directly into the tank. A chemical reaction occurred, and Employee #1's chest, face, and eyes were splashed with chemicals. Coworkers immediately helped him to flush himself with water from a nearby chemical safety shower and eye wash, and then he was transported to a local hospital for medial treatment. Employee #1 sustained chemical burns over approximately 15 percent of his body. Subsequent investigation revealed that he had been involved in a similar incident two months earlier that had not resulted in injury. Textron Aerospace had provided him with additional training to supplement previous training on the proper method and precautions of adding caustic soda to the tank. These precautions and procedures included remotely adding the caustic soda using a conveyor system, something he did not follow in either instance. The cause of this accident appears to be Employee #1 failing to follow proper procedures. The employer was cited for an accident-related violation for failing to ensure that proper body protection was worn.

chemical, caustic, sodium hydroxide, chemical reaction, protective clothing, work rules, ppe, chemical burn, manual mat handling, face

Accident: 170234595 - Two Employees Killed, Two Injured By Chemical Release

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on October 8, 1998, Employees #1 through #4 were working on the fifth level of an eight-level open steel girder silane hydrogenation reactor structure. A 6 in. diameter pipe between a settler and a quench condenser burst, emitting 28,000 lb of silicon tetra chloride, 6,200 lb of trichlorosilane, and 80 lb of hydrogen under 400 psi. The first two products decomposed in the presence of atmospheric moisture to produce hydrochloric acid. The vapor cloud propagation was so rapid that none of the workers had time to reach escape respirators stored on the structure. Employees #1 and #2 were killed, Employees #3 and #4 sustained injuries that required hospitalization. According to the attending physicians, their injuries were consistent with inhalation of hydrochloric acid vapors.

vapor, chemical vapor, chemical, chemical burn, caustic, equipment failure, inhalation, hydrochloric acid, work rules, ppe

Accident: 170361406 - Legs Burned By Nitric Acid When Pump Switches On

Employee #1, who worked for a company that made components for high-vacuum industrial pumps, was preparing to add nitric acid to the cleaning tank where metal pump parts are dipped as part of the manufacturing process. He was using an electric transfer pump and placed the intake hose into the drum containing the nitric acid. He then plugged the pump's electric cord into the wall but didn't check whether the switch on the pump was 'off' position. The pump activated and the hose jumped out of the tank, spraying nitric acid in all directions. Employee #1 sustained second- and third-degree burns on the lower part of both legs. His injuries were made worse by his not washing inadequately after the nitric acid exposure.

chemical, work rules, nitric acid, spill, caustic, chemical burn, accidental discharge, inattention, leg, pump

Accident: 200640589 - Two Employees Burned By Sodium Hydroxide Release

Employees #1 and #2 were performing sanitation duties when a break occurred in the piping system. They were splashed by sodium hydroxide, a caustic liquid. Both employees sustained chemical burns and were transported to the hospital; one remained at the hospital overnight.

pipe, equipment failure, sodium hydroxide, spill, chemical, chemical burn, caustic, accidental discharge, skin

Accident: 170572812 - Suffers Respiratory Irritation After Inhaling Fumes

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on July 17, 1997, Employee #1 came on duty to prepare dishes for washing. She added Clorox to several cups and then turned on the dishwasher. After suffering symptoms such as burning eyes and throat, Employee #1 passed out and a nurse was summoned. She was taken to a hospital, evaluated by a doctor, and then released. Employee #1 saw the company physician the next day. That night, she was taken back to the hospital because of shortness of breath, and a lung scan showed irritation from fumes. Sampling of her work area revealed no overexposure or fumes of any level. No citation was issued.

cleaning, eye, throat, fainted, caustic, lung, toxic fumes, respiratory tract, vapor, inhalation

Accident: 201791092 - Suffers Acid Burns While Mixing Chemical Solution

On June 10, 1997, Employee #1, of Hi Rel Connectors, Claremont, CA, was instructed by his production manager to make a 2:1 mixture of nitric acid and water. He was adding acid to the water when a chemical reaction occurred and the solution erupted. Employee's #1's upper left arm, shoulder, and neck were showered with the acid solution, resulting in second- and third-degree burns. Subsequent investigation determined that Employee #1 was mixing the acid in a plastic container on the floor, and that he was stooping to the left while adding the acid. He was wearing a face shield, an acid resistant apron, and gloves covering his lower arm; however, his upper arm, shoulder, and neck were not protected. This was the first time that Employee #1 had mixed this kind of acid. A chemical fume hood was available and operational in the room, but it was not used. The employer was cited for a serious violation of T8CCR 5167(A) and 3203(A)(4), and a general violation of T8CCR 3380(E).

nitric acid, chemical reaction, arm, shoulder, neck, protective clothing, work rules, caustic, chemical, chemical burn