Inspection Detail

Inspection: 112002852 - Nassco

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on January 24, 1991, Employee #1, a shipfitter, was spot welding bulkhead chocks in the pump room of a ship under construction when sparks from the welding ignited a paper respirator. Employee #1 attempted to smother the fire with a fire cloth, but the oxygen-rich atmosphere fed the flames. They burned up his work trousers and ignited his shirt, beard, and hair; he sustained serious burns to his face. Firemen and paramedics arrived within 2 minutes and Employee #1 was transported to a local burn center. An oxygen/gas cutting torch was found in the pump room. It had apparently been left lying on its oxygen control lever, which allowed oxygen to escape and create the oxygen-rich atmosphere that fueled the flames. The torch had been used to burn paint off a bulkhead to permit better spot welding contact. An oxygen reading taken an hour after the accident measured 39 percent. The cause of the accident was an independent act of the worker.

Keywords: BURN, OXYGEN, SHIPYARD, ACETYLENE TORCH, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, WORK RULES, WELDER, WELDING