Mine Safety and Health Administration Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health Report of Investigation: Surface Metal Mill (Alumina). Fatal Other Accident, January 2, 2007. Alcoa World Alumina Atlantic, Bayer Alumina Plant, Point Comfort, Calhoun Cou

摘要

On January 2, 2007, John L. Dorton, instrumentation/electrical (IE) technician, age 37, was fatally injured when he opened a valve in the piping system of a vacuum monitoring line and hydrogen fluoride discharged onto his face. Dorton was not wearing a respirator or face shield when he opened the valve in preparation for unplugging the stem. The accident occurred because management failed to establish procedures to ensure that IE technicians could safely work on vacuum monitoring lines. The procedures provided to IE technicians did not require them to wear a respirator or face shield to protect them from hydrogen fluoride exposure. Additionally, the established procedures did not require the IE technicians to use the special wash out tool designed to seal around the clean out drill bit and prevent pressure or hydrogen fluoride from escaping during the clean out procedure.