INVESTIGATION INFORMATION

Accident Description

On July 29, 2008, three workers died and a fourth was injured when an explosion occurred inside an 80-foot-tall storage tank at the Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) corrugated cardboard mill in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. The workers were on a catwalk above the tank and performing hot work (welding) at the time of the explosion. The storage tank held a mixture of recycled paper pulp and water. The CSB is performing microbiological and chemical testing to determine what caused flammable gas to be present inside the tank.

Investigation Status

The CSB investigation is currently underway.

Documents

Safety Bulletin

Seven Key Lessons to Prevent Worker Deaths During Hot Work In and Around Tanks (pdf,1933.89KB)

 

 

Other

Seven Key Lessons to Prevent Worker Deaths During Hot Work In and Around Tanks (pdf,156.85KB)