Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200051696 - Seven employees burned in fire at cold storage facility

Accident Summary Nr: 200051696 -- Report ID: 0728900 -- Event Date: 06/21/2002
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
303731988	06/25/2002	1711	0	Prime Refrigeration
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
303731962	06/24/2002	4222	493120	United States Cold Storage, Inc.

Abstract: On June 21, 2002, Employees #1 through #5 with Prime Refrigeration, and Employees #6 and #7 with United States Cold Storage, were burned in a flash fire/explosion at a cold storage facility in Omaha, NE. One of the Prime Refrigeration employees was using an oxy/acetylene torch to cut into an ammonia cooling system vessel that had been evacuated of ammonia and drained of lubricating oil. The vessel had evidently not been thoroughly cleaned or purged, allowing residual oil to fuel the fire. Employees #1 and #2 were hospitalized, and the others were treated and released.

Keywords: AMMONIA, CLEANING, PURGING, BURN, FIRE, LUBRICATING FLUID

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Other building		Alteration or rehabilitation		Under $50,000	1

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	303731988	Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Welders and cutters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing equipment (HVAC and other) Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion
2	303731988	Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Welders and cutters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing equipment (HVAC and other) Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion
3	303731988	Non Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing equipment (HVAC and other) Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion
4	303731988	Non Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Welders and cutters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing equipment (HVAC and other) Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion
5	303731988	Non Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Welders and cutters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing equipment (HVAC and other) Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion
6	303731962	Non Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Industrial engineers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Fatality Cause:
7	303731962	Non Hospitalized injury	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Operating engineers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Fatality Cause:

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