Record Number: 2478 CIS Descriptors: BURNS PETROLEUM REFINING PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY EXPLOSION HAZARDS FLAMMABLE GASES PROTECTIVE CLOTHING FIRE RESISTANT FABRICS FATALITY REPORT REPORT CHARACTERISTICS: DONOR: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner JURISDICTION: Alberta REPORT TITLE: Public Inquiry INDIVIDUAL PRESIDING: Judge N.A.F. Mackie, Provincial Court Judge PLACE OF INQUIRY: Sherwood Park DATE OF INQUIRY : 1991-10-28 INFORMATION ABOUT DECEASED: NAME: Alexander Balsour Vass OCCUPATION: Process supervisor INDUSTRIAL SECTOR: Petro chemical industry ACCIDENT INFORMATION: DATE OF FATALITY : 1990-06-04 PLACE OF FATALITY: University of Alberta Hospital BRIEF CAUSE OF DEATH: Adult respiratory distress. BRIEF MANNER OF DEATH: Due to 70% body surface burns and sepsis. ACCIDENT DESCRIPTION: The subject was a process supervisor at the Petro Canada Refinery near Sherwood Park and was badly burned when there was a sudden explosion of flame due to a rupturing pipe carrying volatile hydrocarbons through a furnace, which he was observing at the time from underneath with a coworker. The subject was transported to the University Hospital, where he died in the burn unit some ten days later. COMMENTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS BY CORONER: It is recommended that fire retardant clothing be worn by workers.
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