Accident: 14318786 - Six Injured In Explosion Of Plastic Fines

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on June 12, 2000, Employees #1 through #6 were transferring a mixture of plastic fines and lubricants.; the additives were explosive when in a suspended state, as per the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). This transfer was performed by dumping the mixture from the mixer into a series of screw conveyors and then dropping the mixture from the top conveyor into a large metal silo. The transfer was approximately 75 percent complete when there was a small explosion in the #3 silo. The explosion shook the entire building and suspended large quantities of dust into the air. This dust then ignited and produced a large but quick dust explosion. The explosion blew out the walls and 50 percent of the roof. All of the six silos were damaged. Employees #1 through #6 sustained injuries ranging from first-, second-, and third-degree burns to shock, and Employees #1 through #3 were hospitalized overnight. The building was not designed as a Class 2, Division 1 location. None of the covers were dust tight, and there were no fire dams (chokes) to prevent the fire and explosion from spreading to other parts of the facility.

explosion, plastic mfg, silo, chemical reaction, burn, combustible dust, work rules, fire, explosive mixing

Accident: 170388532 - Injured In Explosion At Aluminum Melting Furnace

Employee #1 was instructed by his supervisor to use a Bobcat loader to add 900 lb of silicon into the #2 aluminum melting furnace. Employee #1 had dumped in two buckets when an explosion occurred that ignited his clothing and the Bobcat. Employee #1 sustained injuries, for which he was hospitalized. The explosion was triggered by standing water that had pooled on the floor in the silicon area due to major leaks in the roof.

front end loader, fire, aluminum processing, inadequate maint, chemical reaction, explosion, melting furnace, water, chemical, work rules

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: 800060 - Three Injured When Chemical Mixture Ignites

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on March 23, 1999, Employees #1 through#3 were starting the initial phase of a mixing operation. Employees #1 and #2 were reading the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) while Employee #1 added the chemicals. The employees who were reading skipped two steps, which called for a nitrogen purge on the tank to reduce the oxygen level to below 4 percent. These steps were necessary because the last chemical to be added was a self-heating powder that oxidized rapidly in the presence of oxygen. When Employee #3 added the product in the presence of oxygen, a flash fire broke out and powder was blown from the vessel. This caused the overhead sprinklers to activate and the plant was evacuated. Employees #1 through #3 were transported to the hospital, where they were treated and released. The employer was cited for deficient operating procedures, deficient management of change procedures, and failure to have a written plan for employee evacuation.

chemical, oxygen, fire, inhalation, work rules, powder, chemical reaction, inattention, dust, chemical