Worker falls into acid vat

The Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune ^ | August 24, 2006 | GREG MILLER

[rface]

A 22-year-old man fell into a vat of chemicals at a Centralia (Missouri) company and was airlifted to University Hospital with acid burns all over his body.

Thomas Antle was working at the A.B. Chance Co. plant at 210 N. Allen St. when he fell into a large container of ammonium chloride about 9:30 p.m. yesterday, Boone County Fire Protection Division Chief Gale Blomenkamp said. Antle was in serious condition this afternoon. A.B. Chance makes earth anchors for the electric utility and pipeline industries.

After being pulled from the container, Antle was put in a decontamination shower. "It’s all over his body," Blomenkamp read from first responders’ notes. "Skin is falling off."

Christine Stewart of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration in Kansas City said companies are required to report only incidents that cause death or three or more injuries

A.B. Chance directed questions to its parent company, Hubbell Inc., which did not return phone calls.

[CholeraJoe]

The pH of a solution of NH4Cl is 5-7. On the acid side of neutral.

[SlowBoat407]

Ammonium chloride comes closer to being an irritant than a corrosive, but it could've been mixed in with something else. The company apparently makes transformers, and ammonium chloride is on of the materials used for liquid insulation.

[John D]

It would be MUCH worse to fall into a vat of HCL.



If it was HCL we would not be even considering his survival, he would already be dead.

[4yearlurker]

George Burns had the same joke,only substitute chocolate with sh*t.

[Muleteam1]

Having once suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my left arm from my fingers to above my elbow, I had to grimace at this story. I truly feel for the poor fellow. No injury I've ever had has been so painful and long-lasting. Thank goodness for shock.

[dr huer]

Ammonium chloride is a salt that is the combination of a weak base and a strong acid. In water solution it has an acid reaction, and is used in some soldering fluxes to dissolve oxide films on metals to be soldered.

[workeroo]

Maybe the problem is that he was immersed for more than a couple of seconds and/or couldn't get it washed off very quickly, or even ingested some. And I really pray it wasn't a heated solution. I know a bit about this place and there is no way this guy got out in just a couple of seconds. I imagine he was swimming just to stay above the liquid line. And the showers are not exactly convenient compared to the location of falling into the vat. Yes it is a heated vat of solution.

[workeroo]

Someone wasn't wearing his safety harness. I don't remember if there were any available for that area, I'm thinking there weren't, but I doubtfully could be wrong.

[workeroo]

Or maybe it was in some sort of solution…. just saying because I can’t imagine someone at work wearing clothing that’d get powder “all over his body” falling into a “container” of it. No it was not powder is was a liquid solution used to clean steel of rust before going into galvanizing tanks so the material would adhere is my understanding.

[Springman]

Thanks for the info and welcome to FR.