Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Explosions in Industrial Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Facilities: Revised Edition

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Personal Author:
  Palassis, John
• Description:
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Association (EOSA) request assistance in preventing explosions at industrial ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization facilities and EtO repackaging plants. EtO is a flammable gas. During sterilization procedures, EtO can easily form explosive mixtures when it is vented to certain types of emission control devices such as catalytic oxidizers. Between 1994 and 1998, EtO was involved in 10 explosions at industrial EtO sterilization facilities and EtO repackaging plants. One of these explosions caused 1 death and 59 injuries among workers. All of these incidents caused damage to the plants, most of which used catalytic oxidizers to control EtO emissions. This Alert informs owners, managers, supervisors, engineers, safety professionals, and workers about the explosions, injuries, and deaths that may occur at industrial EtO sterilization facilities and repackaging plants. Steps are recommended for preventing these explosions. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Content Notes:
  Includes bibliographical references (p. 14-15).
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Ethylene Oxide Explosions Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Solvents
• Keywords:
  Flammable-gases; Workers; Explosive-gases; Explosion-prevention; Accident-prevention; Traumatic-injuries; Personal-protective-equipment; Control-technology; Catalysis; Oxidizers; Vapors
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007-164, 2007 Aug; :1-33
• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2007164
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  40 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20032388
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2007-112909
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Paul A. Schulte, Director, Education and Information Division National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ethylene oxide (CAS RN 75-21-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d9760373642603c6d7f67c4225fc3d5b812e039ec086a3ccae58def99ddd80899cee732802404017063d2af714ef6fa1563b5046fe99572eec4ed6a6d64ce87d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11108/cdc_11108_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.18 MB ]