Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200460459 - Employee dies of hypoxia while repairing freezer

Accident Summary Nr: 200460459 -- Report ID: 0111400 -- Event Date: 06/12/1999
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
302064100	06/14/1999	1711	0	Balco, Incorporated

Abstract: On the morning of June 12, 1999, Employee #1, of Balco, Inc., was repairing a walk-in freezer at Dick's Last Resort restaurant in Boston, MA. At approximately 12 noon, he was found in the freezer, not breathing and without a pulse. The Boston Fire Department, which responded to the emergency, believed that Employee #1 died of hypoxia. The restaurant manager had put nine 50 lb blocks of dry ice into the freezer the night before to save the food while the freezer was broken. An autopsy had not been performed at the time this report was written.

Keywords: RESPIRATORY, REPAIR, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, INHALATION, CARBON DIOXIDE, CHEMICAL VAPOR, FREEZER COMPARTMENT, OVEREXPOSURE, CHEMICAL

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Commercial building		Maintenance or repair		Under $50,000			X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	302064100			Fatality	Asphyxia	Not specified mechanics and repairers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing equipment (HVAC and other) Fatality Cause: Asphyxiation/inhalation of toxic vapor

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