Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300704129 - Mar Com, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Northwest Area Office

Investigation Summary

On February 18, 2003, Employee #1, a boilermaker and welder, was in the basket of a manlift. The basket was 11 ft above the floor of the floating drydock. Employee #1 was welding steel reinforcements to the exterior, starboard, and stern of a barge in the drydock. The welding was being done using a wire-feed welder. The terminated end of the weld was approximately 17 ft above the floor of the drydock. A small rupture occurred in a hydraulic line of the manlift due to unknown causes. This released a fine spray of hydraulic oil, which was ignited by sparks from the welding. The fire was immediately responded to by other employees and extinguished with the lift in place. It was estimated that it took 2 to 4 minutes from the ignition of the fire until it was extinguished. At that time the basket was lowered to the floor of the drydock. Fire Bureau personnel moved Employee #1 from the basket to a stretcher to transport him to the hospital. At the hospital the attending physician determined that Employee #1 had 80-full-thickness burns. Employee #1 died on April 21, 2003.

Keywords: BURN, FIRE, WELDER, LUBRICATING FLUID, WELDING, HYDRAULIC LINE, SPARK