TranslateAccident Report Detail
Accident: 14427124 - Three Burned, One Later Dies, When Vulcanizer Opens
Accident: 14427124 -- Report ID: 0830500 -- Event Date: 08/07/1986 | |||||||
| Inspection | Open Date | SIC | Establishment Name | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101588101 | 09/22/1986 | 3069 | Gates Rubber Co., Inc. | ||||
| Employees #1, a vessel operator, Employee #2, an electrician, and Employee #3, a pipefitter, began the day shift by checking the operation of the vulcanizer, a pressure vessel that hardens rubber with steam. The operator on the previous shift had reported that the machine was malfunctioning: it was not achieving the 370 degree F temperature required for the process, and it was filling with water during the initial steam cycle and not curing the rubber. When Employee #1 started the steam cycle, the vessel malfunctioned as described, and the crew decided to abort the cycle. Employee #1 pressed the EMERGENCY STOP button, initiating a circuit that caused the vulcanizer to open 43 seconds later. Employees #1 through #3, who were standing in front of the vessel, were burned by the hot water and steam that was released. Employee #1 died 1 1/2 months after the accident from his burns and ensuing medical complications. Employees #2 and #3 sustained less severe burns; neither was hospitalized. The workers were not aware of the exact timing of the circuitry, and the vulcanizer did not have a safety device to prevent it from opening. | |||||||
Keywords:
burn, pressure vessel, unsecured, work rules, steam, untrained, mech malfunction, high temperature, hot water
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| Employee # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree | Nature | Occupation | |
| 1 | 101588101 | Fatality | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Occupation not reported | |||
| 2 | 101588101 | Non Hospitalized injury | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Occupation not reported | |||
| 3 | 101588101 | Non Hospitalized injury | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Occupation not reported | |||