Inspection Detail
Inspection: 106885965 - Fmc Corporation
Inspection Information - Office: Buffalo Area Office
Site Address:
Fmc Corporation
River Road And Sawyer Avenue
Tonawanda, NY 14150
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 845, Buffalo, NY 14240
Union Status: Union
SIC:2819
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Health
Close Conference: 01/11/1991
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 03/07/1991
Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
---|---|---|---|
Accident | 360524375 | ||
Complaint | 72879752 | Yes |
Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Violations | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
Current Violations | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
Initial Penalty | $1,890 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,890 |
Current Penalty | $1,890 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,890 |
FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
# | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 01001 | Serious | 19100023 A08 | 02/05/1991 | 02/08/1991 | $630 | $630 | $0 | - | ||
2. | 01002A | Serious | 19101200 E01 | 02/05/1991 | 03/11/1991 | $630 | $630 | $0 | - | ||
3. | 01002B | Serious | 19101200 F05 I | 02/05/1991 | 03/11/1991 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
4. | 01003A | Serious | 19101200 E01 | 02/05/1991 | 03/11/1991 | $630 | $630 | $0 | - | ||
5. | 01003B | Serious | 19101200 F05 II | 02/05/1991 | 03/11/1991 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - | ||
6. | 02001 | Other | 19100151 C | 02/05/1991 | 02/08/1991 | $0 | $0 | $0 | - |
Investigation Summary
At approximately 12:45 p.m. on October 22, 1990, Employee #1, a caustic operator, was responding to a smoking pump in a cooling system for a persulfate crystallizer. The smoke was caused by decomposing potassium persulfate. While he was trying to activate a washing process to unplug the coolers, the pump exploded and Employee #1 was splashed with a hot mixture of potassium persulfate and potassium sulfate. He suffered second- and third-degree burns on about 13 percent of his body, and on November 5, 1990, died in the hospital from a myocardial infarction and a pulmonary embolism due to chemical burns. The cooler system had no provisions for relieving overpressurization. No instrumentation was in operation in the employee's remote control room to alert him that decomposition was occurring.
Keywords: BURN, CAUSTIC, WORK RULES, RUPTURE, EXPLOSION, HIGH PRESSURE, CHEMICAL BURN, PUMP, PULMONARY EMBOLISM, WARNING SIGN
# | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 106885965 | Fatality | Burn(Chemical) | Occupation not reported |