Accident: 200020485 - Injured In Welding Accident
Employee #1, a maintenance mechanic, was arc welding approximately 31 in. from a cardboard box that contained benzoyl peroxide powder. The welding arc struck the box and the powder flashed over. Employee #1 sustained severe burns to his back, legs, and arms.
welding, mechanic, fire, burn, back, work rules, arm, arc welding, combustible dust, powder
Accident: 14317564 - Injured When Tractor Gas Tank Explodes
Employee #1 was repairing the gasoline tank on a tractor. He was not aware that there was a highly flammable slushing compound inside the tank. After a grinding procedure was completed he struck an arc and produced a flame that caused the tank to explode. Employee #1 sustained injuries to his head and face, and was hospitalized.
explosion, burn, head, tank, gasoline, flammable liquid, work rules, spark, arc welding, inattention
Accident: 14373062 - Three Employees Injured In Tank Explosion
Employee #1 was standing atop a tank that exploded. He struck the ceiling with the tank and rolled off onto the floor. Employee #1 was hospitalized with burns over 40 percent of his body and numerous fractures. Employees #2 and #3 were injured but not hospitalized. The explosion occurred when a welding arc was struck. A spark apparently landed inside a bottom drain that had been cleaned with a solvent less than 24 hours earlier. No purging or ventilation had occurred prior to welding.
arc welding, spark, tank, explosion, flammable vapors, burn, fracture, purging, ventilation, work rules
Accident: 509844 - Killed When Gasoline Cargo Tank Explodes
On December 18, 1995, a MC 306 vehicle-mounted cargo tank used to haul gasoline was found to be leaking at the rear bulkhead. To ready the tank for welding repairs, Employee #1, the shop foreman, drained the last few gallons of fuel and ran hot water through the vessel. This did not purge or remove all flammable vapors. As Employee #1 struck an arc on the tank shell with an arc welding machine, the vapors ignited and the tank exploded. Employee #1 was killed when shrapnel and baffles removed part of his head with a puncture wound. The tank was not ventilated and it had not been purged with inert gas.
gasoline, tank, purging, decapitated, explosion, repair, ventilation, arc welding, flammable vapors, work rules
Accident: 14493563 - Three Employees Killed, Two Burned In Petroleum Fire
Employees #1 through #3, part of a welding contractor's crew, were in a petroleum storage facility when a clogged section of pipeline blew out the plug, spraying the employees with crude petroleum. The petroleum was ignited by the arc welding operation, and Employees #1 through #3 were fatally burned. Two roustabout employees were also injured while attempting to rescue the welding crew. Employee #4 was hospitalized with burns to his back and Employee #5 was treated and released for burns to his hands. Although no definite cause for this accident could be determined, it was found that blind flanges were not used to isolate the pipeline segment the crew was welding; a vacuum truck had been connected to that segment just prior to the fire; residual petroleum may have been left in the pipeline; and the crew was not given appropriate warning of a potentially hazardous situation.
burn, back, flammable liquid, construction, fire, hand, work rules, arc welding, clogged, welding
