Amoco employees remain in hospital

Web posted August 30, 2000

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Sylvia Cooper
Staff Writer

One of two men burned in an industrial accident at BP Amoco Augusta Polymers on Friday was in critical condition Tuesday and the other was in stable condition, said a spokeswoman at Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital.

James McGahee, 39, of Martinez, is in critical condition, and William McConnell, 47, of New Ellenton, is in stable condition, the spokeswoman said.

The men were trying to isolate and remove a pump at about 8:45 a.m. Friday at the Tobacco Road facility when they were sprayed with hot solvent, said John Curry, public affairs director for BP Amoco in Atlanta.

``As I understand it, they were following the procedures and had isolated the pump when they were sprayed with the hot solvent,'' Mr. Curry said. ``It's a solvent that is used to purge and clean lines when you are going to do some maintenance work. It's very benign material. But they were burned, and that's never pleasant either.''

Mr. Curry declined to name the solvent.

``It's a proprietary solvent, meaning it's a solvent we use that our competitors don't know that we use, but it's a benign solvent,'' he said.

Rural Metro Ambulance service dispatched two units to BP Amoco on Friday, said Valerie Spratlin, Rural Metro's public information officer.

``One of the men was burned 90 percent to 100 percent over his body with second-degree burns, so evidently he was in full force when the valve broke and released steam from hot water,'' Ms. Spratlin said.

``And then the second guy got 70 percent burns from first to second degree. And we transported them straight to the burn unit at Doctors.''

Mr. Curry said Mr. McGahee and Mr. McConnell were immediately taken to the plant's safety showers.

``Luckily, because of the training we've all had, the employees on the unit and members of our local emergency medical team were able to get the employees and quickly rush them to the safety showers as they've been trained to do - to wash them off and sort of help minimize the burns, he said.

Mr. McGahee is a contract employee. Mr. McConnell is a BP Amoco employee, Mr. Curry said.

Before Friday's accident, the Amoco facility had gone 554 days without an injury that required medical attention.

``It's been a long time since we had an injury that required any kind of medical attention,'' he said.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228.