Inspection Detail

Inspection: 101523934 - Northwestern Steel & Wire Company

Inspection Information - Office: Naperville Area Office

Inspection Nr: 101523934

Report ID: 0521400

Date Opened: 05/05/1988

Site Address:
Northwestern Steel & Wire Company
121 Wallace Street
Sterling, IL 61081

Mailing Address:
, , 00000

Union Status: Union

SIC:3312

NAICS: 0

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 05/16/1988

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 05/25/1988

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	360120026

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations				1		1
Current Violations				1		1
Initial Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Current Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citaton Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Contest	Latest Event	Note
1.	01001	Other	19100133 A01	05/20/1988	05/25/1988	$0	$0	$0		-

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 14383913

Event: 05/04/1988

EMPLOYEE BURNED TO DEATH BY ARC FURNACE

AT ABOUT 12:05 AM ON MAY 4, 1988, EMPLOYEE #1 AND ANOTHER MILLWRIGHT WERE ASSIGNED THE JOB OF REPLACING TWO BOLTS ON THE SLAG DOOR FITTING OF A 400 TON ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE. ON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE FURNACE, THEY NOTED THAT THE FURNACE WAS IDLE BUT NOT TAPPED. EMPLOYEE #1'S COWORKER WALKED TO THE PULPIT TO FIND OUT HOW LONG THE FURNACE WOULD BE DOWN AND TO ARRANGE FOR A CRANE. HE THOUGHT EMPLOYEE #1 WAS FOLLOWING HIM. SHORTLY AFTER THE MILLWRIGHT ENTERED THE PULPIT, A REACTION SIMILAR TO A "CARBON BLOW" OCCURRED (THE FURNACE HAD BEEN IDLE MORE THAN 1/2 HOUR AT THIS TIME), AND A JET OF FLAME SHOT OUT THE SLAG DOOR. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ENGULFED IN THE FLAME. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL AND DIAGNOSED AS HAVING BURNS ON 100% OF HIS BODY; 80% OF THE BURNS WERE 3RD DEGREE. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A BURN UNIT AND DIED 30 HOURS LATER.

Keywords: BURN, FURNACE, WORK RULES, FIRE, MILLWRIGHT, CHEMICAL REACTION

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	101523934			Fatality	Burn/Scald(Heat)	Occupation not reported

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