OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14233191

AIR PRESSURE,HEAD,PRESSURE VESSEL,WORK RULES,HIGH PRESSURE,STRUCK BY,CONCUSSION,FLYING OBJECT,DOOR

1989-08-21T00:00:00

Event: AIR PRESSURE,HEAD,PRESSURE VESSEL,WORK RULES,HIGH PRESSURE,STRUCK BY,CONCUSSION,FLYING OBJECT,DOOR
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14233191
Report ID: 316700

Event description

Employee killed when struck by pressure vessel door

Investigation abstract

Employee #1 was testing a pressure vessel with air pressure in direct violation of an oral company policy. Employee #1 filled a 5 ft by 36 in. diameter pressure vessel that had an 18 in. by 21 in. manway. The vessel was designed for 14.5 ps i and, instead of testing hydrostatically as told by company officials, Employee #1 filled the vessel to approximately 99 psi. The manway door, which was only 1 4 gauge stainless, broke away and struck Employee #1 in the head, causing a conc ussion. He was killed.

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 45 M

Nature of injury
6

Part of body
13

Event type
1

Source
2

Occupation code
999

Human factor
1

Environmental factor
15

Task assigned
1

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