Incident date: 2015-07-29
NAICS industry code: 332812

After the galvanizing cycle, material (product) is no longer in the zinc, but is still inside the kettle, at which point two workers will skim the zinc off the top of the kettle. Two monorail cranes carry this beam in and out of the kettle housing. The cranes have chains connected to a bow that holds the beam. The chain between the lifting block of the crane and bow failed; one end of the beam fell, hit the molten zinc vat, and caused a splash. The injured employee was wearing a Nomex suit, face shield, and eye glasses at the time. The surface of this vat is at about waist level. The densest portion of the splash hit the injured employee in the groin, burned through the Nomex coveralls, and caused third-degree burns.  Another portion of the splash hit the employee on the chest/abdomen area and caused second-degree burns. A small splash of molten zinc also hit the employee's face, and the last portion landed on one of the injured employee's feet, causing a burn.

Hazard classification:
code_event: title: Contact with hot objects or substances
code_source: title: Molten or hot metals, slag
code_nature: title: Third or fourth degree heat (thermal) burns
code_body: title: Multiple body parts, n.e.c.
severity: moderate