Abstract: ON APRIL 23, 1984, SHORTLY BEFORE NOON, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS MIXING A SMALL BATCH OF LAQUER IN A 55 GALLON DRUM. AFTER PLACING THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF METHYL ETHYL KETONE (MEK-22F (FP)) INTO THE DRUM (PREPARING FOR A 50-GALLON AMOUNT), HE ADDED A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF ACRYLIC PELLETS AND STARTED THE AGITATOR. HE THEN SHUT OFF THE AGITATOR AND LEFT TEMPORARILY. HE RETURNED AT 12 O'CLOCK AND RESTARTED THE AGITATOR. (IT IS SPECULATED THAT HE SET THE AGITATOR AT THE HIGH SPEED - 1750 RPM.) WHEN THE DRUM BEGAN TO "WOBBLE", IT CAUSED THE SHARPLY POINTED AGITATOR DISC TO PENETRATE AND PUNCH HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DRUM. THE LIQUID IN THE DRUM WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY THROWN UPWARD, STRIKING THE 7-GALLON BUCKET OF MEK HE WAS ADDING TO THE DRUM CONTENTS. HIS CLOTHES WERE SATURATED WITH THE DRUM CONTENTS AND MEK. THE NOW EMPTY DRUM BECAME A SOURCE OF IGNITION, WITH SPARKS IGNITING THE VAPORS FROM THE EMPLOYEE'S CLOTHING. HE SUFFERED FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS OVER 100% OF HIS BODY (THICK MIXTURE - 140 KREBBES).