Man injured in accident at chemical plant
NEWELL – A Newell man was in serious condition in a Pittsburgh hospital Saturday night after he was burned by acid while working at Nitro Chem Friday afternoon. Dominick Ottoviani, 44, president of the union at Nitro Chem, was flown by helicopter to West Penn Hospital for injuries sustained to his face, chest and back.
Fire Chief Joe Dandrea Jr. said Ottoviani was disconnecting a line from a tank truck at the Newell chemical plant that still had acid in it. When Ottoviani opened the valve, acid reportedly shot in his face and on his chest. Dandrea said Ottoviani received second-degree burns to 20 percent of his body.
He said the Newell Volunteer Fire Company responded to the call around 4:30 p.m.
Ottoviani’s wife, Marcia, a nurse at Brownsville General Hospital, said her husband was in the helicopter within 15 minutes after the accident.
“Everyone acted so fast. It’s amazing how fast they got him out of there,” she said. “They had him in cold water in a matter of seconds. The (Brownsville) ambulance was there so fast, even though there was a train on the track (blocking their entrance into the plant).”
Marcia Ottoviani, said she was sleeping when the call first came in to alert her of the accident. She said that when the plant manager finally reached her, he told her that her husband was “burned bad.”
She said she rushed over to the plant, which is walking distance from her house, and found her husband under a cold shower when she arrived. She said he was shaking, his skin was yellow and he looked bad.
After visiting him in the hospital, Marcia said, her husband is stable and doctor reports have been positive. She said he is completely bandaged, and his skin is discolored and swollen.
Dominick Ottoviani has two children and three stepchildren. He has worked at Nitro Chem for the past 15 to 20 years and is president of the union there, according to Bernadette Guiser, Newell Borough secretary, whose husband works at the plant.
Guiser said she spoke with Ottoviani only two hours before the accident.
She said she heard the fire whistle at 4:30 p.m. and went outside to see what was going on.
“I heard the whistle go off, then I saw (Brownsville) ambulance, and then I heard the helicopter, and I knew it was bad,” she said.
Guiser said Ottoviani is a wonderful and friendly guy and has many friends.
“(Ottoviani) is that one guy that everyone goes to his house. He has a very nice family. It’s a shame what happened. I feel so sick about it. A lot of people do. It’s just a terrible accident,” Guiser said.