Accident: 170097281 - Killed In Motor Vehicle Accident

At approximately 10:00 p.m. on April 14, 1998, Employee #1 lost control of the vehicle she was operating and was killed. She had been drinking and had a blood alcohol level to 0.26. Employee #1 was exceeding the speed limit and was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

motor vehicle, work rules, intoxicated, seat belt, vehicle, alcohol, lost control, speeding, traffic accident

Accident: 170006613 - Dies At Work Of Suspected Drug Overdose

At approximately 10:45 a.m. on March 13, 1998, Employee #1 was found dead in the Men's Room at work. A syringe, a bottle of alcohol, and a vial of brown liquid were found with him. The coroner's report stated that the causes of death were early hepatic cirrhosis, multiple substance misuse, and hepatitis C. The employer's accident prevention program specifically prohibited drug and alcohol use on the company's premises.

drug overdose, work rules, hepatitis, alcohol, liver

Accident: 510362 - Burned When Methanol Fumes Ignite

Employee #1 was cleaning a reactor used to prepare 1,1-dimethyl-3-pyrodinyl carbonate in which a nickel catalyst was used. He opened the manway to rinse the reactor with methanol, exposing some of the nickel to the air. The nickel sparked and ignited the methanol fumes. Employee #1 sustained second- and third-degree burns in the resulting fire. The employer was cited for numerous violations, including inadequate training and confined space regulations.

cleaning, reactor, chemical reaction, methyl alcohol, spark, burn, flammable vapors, combustible dust, work rules, fire

Accident: 201770187 - Killed When Storage Drum Explodes And Burns

Employee #1 and a coworker were using an oxygen/acetylene torch to cut metal shapes from a 25 in. by 35 in. by 1/8 in. sheet of steel. The work was being done on an empty 55 gallon drum that had contained methyl alcohol. The drum exploded, resulting in a flash fire. Employee #1 was killed and his coworker sustained severe burns.

welding, work rules, acetylene torch, methyl alcohol, explosion, fire, flammable vapors, drum, vapor, chemical

Accident: 200050110 - Dies When Overcome By Carbon Monoxide

Employee #1 was found dead, sitting in a truck in the garage of his employer. He apparently had been overcome by carbon monoxide from inhaling the vehicle's exhaust fumes. This was not at a construction site and the employer felt it was a not a work-related fatality. An investigation was ongoing to determine if Employee #1 was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of his death.

construction, truck, exhaust fumes, carbon monoxide, inhalation, motor vehicle, ventilation, alcohol, overexposure, poisoning or

Accident: 170387104 - Burned In Oven Fire Explosion

At 5:50 a.m. on or about January 22, 1997, Employee #1 was removing cores from a conveyor after they had gone through a core drying oven. The core dip contained isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol). The cores were not drying properly, and the temperature on the electric oven was increased. When the bare electric heating elements came on, they ignited the alcohol fumes, resulting in an explosion, Employee #1 suffered burns on her face, neck, arms, and back.

isopropanol, isopropyl alcohol, explosion, drying furnace, oven, burn, work rules, face, flammable vapors, vapor

Accident: 170831119 - Eyes Injured When Methanol Drum Explodes

Employee #1 and coworkers were filling a 55-gallon drum from an aboveground 1,000 gallon tank of methanol. The drum failed and exploded, and Employee #1 suffered eye injuries. The plastic drum had been stored outside and exposed to the elements and to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Employee #1 was not wearing adequate eye protection.

drum, tank, methyl alcohol, chemical, explosion, struck by, eye, high pressure, work rules, ppe

Accident: 200850188 - Dies Of Overdose Of Drugs And Alcohol

Employee #1 was on a catwalk, arranging lights on a lighting grid for a television production. He was pulling on a lighting electrical cable with a cord connector on the end when the connector became caught on a pipe in the grid. Employee #1 was tugging on the cable when it popped up, arched over, and struck him near his left eye and temple. He got down from the catwalk and reported to his supervisor. Ice was administered, and the supervisor urged Employee #1 to go to the hospital to have his injury checked. He said that he was okay, and the supervisor sent him home. Employee #1 died in his sleep that night of an overdose of cocaine and alcohol. After learning of this death, CBS reported the incident to OSHA. There was no indication in the autopsy report of trauma related to Employee #1's injury that would have caused his death.

drug overdose, alcohol, caught by, struck by, head, electrician, electric cord, flying object