Employee enters reactor and dies from fall after being overcome by VC vapors

At approximately 4:00 a.m. on March 29, 2020, an employee was installing a blind on a flange on a reactor. Then, the probe stem fell inside of the reactor, and the employee tried to fish it out. Using a ladder, the employee went inside the reactor that was NOT cleared for entry because the reactor still contained vinyl chlorine. Halfway down the ladder, the employee became dizzy and fell to the bottom of the reactor hitting his head on the agitator inside of the vessel. The employee was killed.

PLEASE NOTE: falls into or within a CS is NOT a hazard which would make a CS a PRCS.  The employer was NOT cited for the actual fall, but rather PRCS and VC standards.

Violation Summary
  Serious Willful Repeat Other Total
Initial Violations 2       2
Current Violations 2       2
Initial Penalty $26,988 $0 $0 $0 $26,988
Current Penalty $26,988 $0 $0 $0 $26,988

 

Violation Items
# ID Type Standard Issuance Abate Curr$ Init$ Fta$ Contest LastEvent
1. 01001 Serious 19100146 C02 09/18/2020   $13,494 $13,494 $0   Z – Issued
2. 01002 Serious 19101017 F02 09/18/2020 09/28/2020 $13,494 $13,494 $0   Z – Issued

 

 

https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=125117.015

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