Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301991089 - La. Dock Company

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee#1, a shipfitter, was working from a scaffold resting on the dry dock floor. There was a crane barge in the dry dock and Employee #1 was burning on the rub rail on the inboard aft end of the barge. Apparently sparks from the burning torch ignited explosive gas that had accumulated in the aft, inboard corner ballast tank of the dry dock. The explosion peeled back the deck plates of the dry dock floor and threw Employee #1 approximately 20 ft in the air. He was killed.

Keywords: BARGE, SHIPYARD, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, WORK RULES, WELDER, TORCH, EXPLOSION, SPARK, CHEMICAL VAPOR, CUTTING AND BURNING