Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 201486107 - Employee killed in chemical explosion
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
120340492 | 09/16/2003 | 1711 | 238220 | Jenson Mechanical, Inc. |
Abstract: At approximately 11:15 a.m. on September 12, 2003, Employee #1, a mechanic, was working in a propellant mix building owned by a different employer that made solid fuel rockets and missiles for the aerospace and defense industries. He was using a portable band saw to cut into a stainless-steel, 2 in. thick vacuum line designed to pull air from the rocket fuel being mixed. Employee #1 had partially cut the line when it exploded and he was killed. Subsequent investigation revealed that the inside of the line was contaminated with particles of HMX explosive and ammonium perchlorate, the latter having a particle size of less than 15 microns. The employer that owned the building failed to ensure that the line had been decontaminated of all explosive materials before Employee #1 began hot work.
End Use | Project Type | Project Cost | Stories | Non-building Height | Fatality | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manufacturing plant | Maintenance or repair | $500,000 to $1,000,000 | 2 | X |
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation | Construction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 120340492 | Fatality | Other | Occupation not reported | Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Interior plumbing, ducting, electrical work Fatality Cause: Fire/explosion |