Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 14303978 - EMPLOYEES KILLED AND INJURED IN HOTEL FIRE

Accident Summary Nr: 14303978 -- Report ID: 0257260 -- Event Date: 12/31/1986
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
18685701	01/08/1987	7011	0	San Juan Dupont Plaza Hotel & Casino

Abstract: AT APPROXIMATELY 3:15 PM ON DECEMBER 31, 1986, A FIRE OF GREAT SIZE AND INTENSITY BROKE OUT IN THE BALLROOM OF THE HOTEL DUPONT PLAZA IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO. THE HOTEL EMPLOYEES WERE PERFORMING THEIR ASSIGNED TASKS, WITH NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING AMISS. NO ONE NOTICED THE FIRE STARTING. NO WARNING OF ANY KIND WAS RECEIVED BY ANY OF THE HOTEL EMPLOYEES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE WAS NOTICED, IT WAS SO FAR ADVANCED THAT ESCAPE WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE MAIN EXIT, LOCATED IN THE CASINO AREA (EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING), WAS UNREACHABLE BECAUSE OF HEAVY SMOKE AND THE PANICKED MOB TRYING TO GET OUT. THERE WAS ANOTHER EXIT LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR, NEAR THE CROUPIER'S LOUNGE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LOCATION OF THE SECOND EXIT WAS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN, AND WAS SECURED BY TWO LOCKS. AN INVESTIGATION AFTER THE FIRE REVEALED THAT THE SECOND EXIT CONSISTED OF A SMALL HOLE IN THE WALL, AND WAS MADE OUT OF WOOD. THE HOTEL EMPLOYEES HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY TRAINING IN THE USE OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS OR IN THE PLAN OF EVACUATION. THERE WERE NEVER ANY FIRE DRILLS CONDUCTED. THERE WAS NO FIRE ALARM SYSTEM OF ANY KIND. THE FIRE ESCAPES WERE IN SUCH TERRIBLE CONDITION THAT THEY WERE UNUSABLE. 18 EMPLOYEES DIED AND 90 WERE INJURED AS A RESULT OF THIS FIRE. (NOTE: LATER INFORMATION LED INVESTIGATORS TO BELIEVE THE FIRE WAS THE RESULT OF ARSON - STARTED BY DISGRUNTLED HOTEL EMPLOYEES IN REVENGE FOR ALLEGED MALTREATMENT BY HOTEL MANAGEMENT. A TOTAL OF 75 EMPLOYEES WERE LISTED IN INJURY LINE. WG)

Keywords: BURN, ALARM, FIRE, FIRE ESCAPE, SMOKE, UNTRAINED, SMOKE INHALATION

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Cashiers
2	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Supervisors; distrib., sched'g & adjusting clerks
3	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Supervisors; distrib., sched'g & adjusting clerks
4	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
5	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Supervisors; distrib., sched'g & adjusting clerks
6	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
7	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
8	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
9	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
10	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Protective service occupations, n.e.c.
11	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
12	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
13	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
14	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
15	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
16	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
17	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
18	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters'/waitresses' assistants
19	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
20	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
21	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters'/waitresses' assistants
22	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters'/waitresses' assistants
23	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Managers and administrators, n.e.c
24	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters and waitresses
25	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
26	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
27	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
28	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
29	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Cooks, except short order
30	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
31	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
32	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Cashiers
33	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Bartenders
34	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
35	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
36	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Management related occupations, n.e.c.
37	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
38	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
39	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
40	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
41	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Cashiers
42	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Other	Payroll and timekeeping clerks
43	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Secretaries
44	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Cooks, except short order
45	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters and waitresses
46	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
47	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
48	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Personnel and labor relations managers
49	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Supervisors; distrib., sched'g & adjusting clerks
50	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Typists
51	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Cashiers
52	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
53	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Supervisors; distrib., sched'g & adjusting clerks
54	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Bartenders
55	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Cooks, except short order
56	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters and waitresses
57	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Cashiers
58	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Waiters'/waitresses' assistants
59	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
60	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Housekeepers and butlers
61	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Occupation not reported
62	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Cashiers
63	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Maids and housemen
64	18685701	Non Hospitalized injury	Other	Management related occupations, n.e.c.
65	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
66	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
67	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
68	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Managers and administrators, n.e.c
69	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Waiters and waitresses
70	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported
71	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Supervisors; distrib., sched'g & adjusting clerks
72	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Cashiers
73	18685701	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported
74	18685701	Fatality	Other	Managers and administrators, n.e.c
75	18685701	Fatality	Asphyxia	Cooks, except short order

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