Accident: 170363279 - Suffers Acid Burns On Eye

Employee #1, an associate in the garden department at Home Depot store #5211, and a coworker were removing lawn mowers from packing crates. Employee #1 was using the forks of a lift truck to take apart a crate. As he approached the crate, the truck struck and wedged a1 gal jug of muriatic acid (swimming pool grade) against a wooden pallet. The acid was squeezed out of the bottle, splashing onto Employee #1's face and right arm. He suffered first-degree burns to his right eye and on other exposed areas. Employee #1 was transported to Redding Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

eye, chemical burn, chemical, inattention, work rules, industrial truck, spill, ind trk operator, struck against, clearance

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.

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

Accident: 119824522 - Injured After Inhaling Chlorine

On September 17, 1999, Employee #1 was working in the pool facilities room at Pilgrim Place in Claremont, CA. He inhaled chlorine and sustained chemical burns to his skin, and irritation to his eyes and bronchial passages. CAL/OSHA received the report on September 9, 2000. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 5158, related to confined space regulations.

chemical, chemical burn, skin, inhalation, chlorine, eye, lung, work rules, chemical vapor, pool

Accident: 119958023 - Employee Suffers Chemical Burns When Drum Falls

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on October 21, 1998, Employee #1 was using a forklift to move a chemical drum when it slipped and fell onto the asphalt. He suffered chemical burns to his right arm and leg, and to the side of his face. Employee #1 was hospitalized as a result of his injuries.

unsecured, chemical burn, arm, unstable load, work rules, slip, mech mat handling, drum, chemical, industrial truck