Some safety professionals think the stories of workers dying in air-supplied respirators hooked into an inert gas supply are “urban safety myths”. Granted, these incidents are rare, but they do happen and they almost always result in a fatality. Here are some of the OSHA Case files from such incidents…
Case #1
At 5:15 p.m. on May 16, 2017, an employee was preparing to paint a car. The employee hooked up his airline respirator to a nitrogen hose instead of to the compressed air hose, resulting in the employee suffering asphyxiation.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|
| Serious | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 5 | 5 |
| Current Violations | 5 | 5 |
| Initial Penalty | $14,667 | $14,667 |
| Current Penalty | $14,667 | $14,667 |
| Violation Items | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | Contest |
| Serious | 19100107 B05 I | 11/07/2017 | 12/12/2017 | $2,716 | $2,716 | 11/27/2017 |
| Serious | 19100134 E01 | 11/07/2017 | 11/28/2017 | $2,716 | $2,716 | 11/27/2017 |
| Serious | 19100134 F02 | 11/07/2017 | 11/28/2017 | $0 | $0 | 11/27/2017 |
| Serious | 19100134 I05 IV | 11/07/2017 | 11/28/2017 | $2,716 | $2,716 | 11/27/2017 |
| Serious | 19100134 I07 | 11/07/2017 | 11/28/2017 | $0 | $0 | 11/27/2017 |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 11/07/2017 | 11/16/2017 | $3,803 | $3,803 | 11/27/2017 |
| Serious | 19100134 K | 11/07/2017 | 12/12/2017 | $2,716 | $2,716 | 11/27/2017 |
Case #2
At approximately 8:45 a.m. on March 2, 2016, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were removing bolts from a pump preparing it for removal. They donned airline respirators which were attached to a cylinder cascade system via a spider manifold and regulator to conduct the next task. The cylinder cascade system to which the masks were attached was argon and not grade D breathing air and both employees went down due to asphyxiation. Employee #1 died and Employee #2 was hospitalized with traumatic brain injury.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Other | Unclass | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 2 | 2 | ||
| Current Violations | 2 | 2 | ||
| Initial Penalty | $12,000 | $12,000 | ||
| Current Penalty | $12,000 | $12,000 | ||
| Violation Items | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | Fta$ | Contest | LastEvent |
| Other | 19100119 H03 I | 08/01/2016 | 08/18/2016 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | 08/23/2016 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Other | 19100134 K | 08/01/2016 | 08/18/2016 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 08/23/2016 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Other | 19100119 H03 IV | 08/01/2016 | 08/25/2016 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $0 | 08/23/2016 | F – Formal Settlement |
Case #3
Employee #1 was using an air line respirator that was connected to a hard pipe nitrogen system. An airline coupler was provided that would have permitted him to connect to the company’s breathing air system; however, the coupler was not installed in the employee’s breathing airline system. He died from asphyxia.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|
| Serious | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 2 | 2 |
| Current Violations | ||
| Initial Penalty | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| Current Penalty | ||
| Violation Items | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | Fta$ | Contest | LastEvent |
| Serious | 5A0001 | 12/23/2003 | 12/29/2003 | $0 | $3,500 | $0 | 01/15/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 12/23/2003 | 01/06/2004 | $0 | $3,500 | $0 | 01/15/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
Case #4
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|
| Serious | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 5 | 5 |
| Current Violations | 3 | 3 |
| Initial Penalty | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Current Penalty | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Violation Items | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | Contest | LastEvent |
| Serious | 5A0001 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $2,500 | $3,000 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19260020 B02 | 12/19/2003 | 01/02/2004 | $0 | $3,000 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19260021 B02 | 12/19/2003 | 01/02/2004 | $2,500 | $3,000 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19260021 B06 I | 12/19/2003 | 01/09/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19260020 B02 | 12/19/2003 | 01/02/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 C01 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $2,500 | $3,000 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 E01 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I01 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 K01 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 L01 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $0 | $0 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 12/19/2003 | 01/16/2004 | $0 | $3,000 | 01/16/2004 | F – Formal Settlement |
Case #5
On June 25, 2012, an employee was preparing to sand blast steel pylons on unit 2A and 2B. A coworker was instructed by an authorized sandblaster to hook up the air hose across the road. The coworker hooked up the airline to a nitrogen line instead of a supplied airline. The employee donned the supplied air hood and lost consciousness due to asphyxiation from the nitrogen and died.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Other | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| Current Violations | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Initial Penalty | $42,700 | $42,700 | |
| Current Penalty | $25,200 | $5,600 | $30,800 |
| Violation Items | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | LastEvent |
| Serious | 5A0001 | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $7,000 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100023 D01 IV | 12/20/2012 | $2,100 | $2,100 | I – Informal Settlement | |
| Serious | 19100119 D03 I C | 12/20/2012 | 01/03/2013 | $3,500 | $3,500 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100307 C | 12/20/2012 | 01/03/2013 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100119 D03 II | 12/20/2012 | 01/03/2013 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100119 E03 VII | 12/20/2012 | 01/10/2013 | $3,500 | $3,500 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100119 E05 | 12/20/2012 | 01/10/2013 | $4,900 | $4,900 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100119 F01 I D | 12/20/2012 | 01/10/2013 | $4,900 | $4,900 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100119 F04 | 12/20/2012 | 01/10/2013 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100119 J02 | 12/20/2012 | 01/10/2013 | $4,900 | $4,900 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $7,000 | $7,000 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19101200 H01 | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $4,900 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100022 D01 | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100095 D01 | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100119 C01 | 12/20/2012 | 01/10/2013 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100134 D01 III | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100212 A01 | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100212 B | 12/20/2012 | 12/27/2012 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
Case #6
Employee #1 plugged his supplied-air respirator into a nitrogen source. He was hospitalized for treatment of asphyxia.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Other | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Current Violations | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Initial Penalty | $3,750 | $3,750 | |
| Current Penalty | $1,875 | $1,875 | |
| Violation Items | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | LastEvent |
| Serious | 19100134 C01 | 06/13/2000 | 06/26/2000 | $375 | $750 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 F02 | 06/13/2000 | 06/26/2000 | $375 | $750 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I07 | 06/13/2000 | 06/16/2000 | $375 | $750 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 06/13/2000 | 06/21/2000 | $375 | $750 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 K05 | 06/13/2000 | 06/26/2000 | $375 | $750 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19260062 D01 I | 06/13/2000 | 06/26/2000 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
Case #7
On March 5, 2002, Employees #1 and #2 with George Young & Sons were preparing to perform abrasive blasting work in a second floor spray chamber at Keystone Steel and Wire. They were instructed by the site foreman to don their type CE abrasive blast respirators and upon his return to the area, he found Employees #1 and #2 unconscious. The supplied air line for the respirators had been connected to a plant air line labeled “compressed air”. After investigating, it was found that the line was 99.998 percent nitrogen. Both employees were hospitalized.
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Violation Summary
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|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | Other | Total | |
| Initial Violations | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Current Violations | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Initial Penalty | $5,000 | $5,000 | |
| Current Penalty | $3,750 | $3,750 | |
| Violation Items | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Standard | Issuance | Abate | Curr$ | Init$ | LastEvent |
| Serious | 19100134 C01 | 04/02/2002 | 05/08/2002 | $938 | $1,250 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I01 II | 04/02/2002 | 04/05/2002 | $938 | $1,250 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Serious | 19100134 I08 | 04/02/2002 | 04/05/2002 | $1,875 | $2,500 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100134 E01 | 04/02/2002 | 04/26/2002 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
| Other | 19100134 K01 | 04/02/2002 | 04/26/2002 | $0 | $0 | I – Informal Settlement |
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