Inspection Detail

Inspection: 17374885 - Camac Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Abingdon (Field Office) - Safety 0355110

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEE #6 WAS PERFORMING FINISH EXTRACTIONS ON YARN. THIS OPERATION CONSISTS OF DIPPING THE YARN INTO A WARM SOLUTION OF PETROLEUM ETHER, THEN EVAPORATING THE ETHER FROM THE YARN. A CORNING PC-100RC SERIES LABORATORY HOT PLATE WAS USED. AT APPROXIMATELY 7 PM ON MAY 22, 1987, EMPLOYEE #6 WAS EVAPORATING THE SECOND SET OF FOUR SIMULTANEOUS EXTRACTIONS, AND WAS STANDING NEAR THE SINK BESIDE THE FUME HOOD. THE HOOD FAN AND FUME HOOD LIGHTS WERE ON. THE FUME HOOD DOOR WAS PULLED DOWN ABOUT HALFWAY. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A POP, AND THE MATERIAL INSIDE THE FUME HOOD CAUGHT FIRE. EMPLOYEE #6 AND EMPLOYEE #3 LEFT THE LABORATORY IMMEDIATELY AND INFORMED EMPLOYEE #8 OF THE FIRE. EMPLOYEE #3 PAGED EMPLOYEE #5 TO COME TO THE LABORATORY IMMEDIATELY TO DEAL WITH THE EMERGENCY. MEANWHILE, EMPLOYEE #8 FOUND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. EMPLOYEE #4 TOOK THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM EMPLOYEE #8 AND EXTINGUISHED THE FUME HOOD FIRE. THE FIRE MELTED THE PLEXIGLASS OF THE FUME HOOD, AND THE FAN MOTOR WOULD NOT OPERATE AFTER THE FIRE. THE LAMP IN THE FUME HOOD WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS A BEAKER CONTAINING APPROXMATELY 50 MILLILITERS OF UNBURNED PETROLUEM ETHER SITTING BESIDE THE HOT PLATE. THE HEAT APPARENTLY CAUSED THE PLEXIGLASS DOOR TO BULGE OUTWARD IN THE AREA ABOVE THE HOT PLATE. THE PROTECTIVE COVER FOR THE LAMP INSIDE THE FUME HOOD WAS MISSING. ALL 8 EMPLOYEES WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR SMOKE INHALATION.

Keywords: RESPIRATORY, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, FIRE, SMOKE, SMOKE INHALATION