Inspection Detail

Inspection: 62878.015 - E I Dupont

Inspection Information - Office: Columbus Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 27, 2011, Employee #1, a 47-year-old male employee exited the Kapton #1 manufacturing line. The employee had exited the process line oven after spending approximately 10 minutes inside threading the product to a take up reel. The oven temperature was approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Kapton is made from Dimethylacetamide. Two employees had entered the process line oven to thread the Kapton sheet. As the Kapton sheet is initially formed, the sheet runs onto the oven floor. The employees entered the oven, cut the Kapton sheet and threaded the cut end through various rollers and onto the tenner chain where it moved to the wind up reel. Employee #1 had gathered together the waste Kapton sheeting cut from the beginning of the sheet and disposed of the scrap into a waste receptacle. Both employees had exited the oven, showered, with PPE in place to rinse chemical from their PPE, and exited to an open area between the operator's control room and the oven. Both employees had raised the poly over their heads, removed the Nomax hood and butyl hood and removed their air line respirators. The second employee walked to the side of the open area and looked down the hallway to get a visual OK from the process operator that the Kapton sheet was in one piece and had reached the wind up spool. The operator came to the end of his air line, and because he could go no further, turned back toward the first employee. As he turned, he saw his coworker fall straight back, striking his head hard on the floor. The employee was found to be unconscious. Emergency services were called. The employee never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The employees wore PPE to include a butyl chemical suit with a thermal Kevlar liner, Nomex/Kevlar socks, poly booties with butyl boots, poly shoulder length gloves, Kevlar gloves with butyl outer gloves, butyl arm sleeves, Nomex hood covered by a butyl hood, covered by a Teflon hood, full face air line respirator, ear protection, and knee pads.

Keywords: Chemical, Heat