Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
Published on: October 3, 2016
Deaths from asphyxiation and poisoning at work in the United States 1984-6
1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
Abstract:
A review of 4756 deaths investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1984-6 found 233 deaths from asphyxiation and poisoning, excluding asphyxiations from trench cave-ins. The highest rates were in the oil and gas industry and in utilities. Toxic gases were the largest group (65) followed by simple asphyxiants (48), mechanical causes (42), and solvents (35). Deaths from solvents were significantly more likely in young workers. Nine deaths were caused by improper air supply to respirators and five by recreational inhalation of gas or vapours. Of the 146 deaths in confined spaces, only 12% were in rescuers, fewer than previously reported.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison
Toxicity Testing in Animals
Toxidromes: Clinical Features
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies

