A 50-year-old mechanic was killed when a sight glass at an oil refinery ruptured and engulfed him in hydrofluoric acid. The incident occurred in an alkylation unit where the acid, a highly hazardous, toxic and corrosive chemical, is used as a catalyst in the process. The process uses the catalyst to produce higher octane gasoline. The victim was assigned to observe and verify that the flush of propane to a reflux pump was adequate to provide cooling to prevent overheating and damage to the pump.
Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) Fatality (TNOSHA)
