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Deaths involving air-line respirators connected to inert gas sources
- Source :
- American Industrial Hygiene Association journal. 54(1)
- Publication Year :
- 1993
-
Abstract
- During 1984 to 1988, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 10 incidents, with 11 fatalities, involving the inadvertent connection of air-line respirators to inert gas supplies. Seven deaths resulted from connecting an air-line respirator supply hose to a line which normally carried inert gas. Four deaths were caused by leakage or backfill of inert gas into a line which normally carried breathable air. Ten of the deaths were from nitrogen and one from argon. The circumstances of the 11 deaths indicated that coupling compatibility and supervisory oversight were major factors in the inappropriate supply of irrespirable gas to the respirators worn by these workers. Conscientiousness among safety personnel to the hazards of asphyxiation by inert gas, and compliance with current OSHA regulations, the ANSI Z88.2 standard, and NIOSH respirator certification approval regulations would have prevented these fatalities.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Engineering
business.product_category
Injury control
Accident prevention
United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Poison control
Noble Gases
Occupational safety and health
Forensic engineering
Accidents, Occupational
Humans
Respirator
Inert gas
Air line
Occupational Health
Ventilators, Mechanical
Waste management
business.industry
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Equipment Design
Breathing gas
United States
Female
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00028894
- Volume :
- 54
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American Industrial Hygiene Association journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0afaf3cd8c1e3d5684cc318c893116b1