OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14409932
WORK RULES,BOILER,EQUIPMENT FAILURE,EXPLOSION,HEAT EXCHANGER,ANKLE,HIGH PRESSURE,STRUCK BY
Event description
One killed, one injured when overpressurized joint fails
Investigation abstract
Employees #1 and #2 were helping to pressurize a hydrogen unit heat exchange to test for leaks. The housing was removed from a floating head cover, exposing an expansion joint. Employee #2 was standing on top of the exchange tightening bolt s on the floating head. Employee #1 was observing from directly in front of the expansion joint. The exchange was pressurized with nitrogen to 370 psi. Coworker s were applying a soap solution to the connections when the expansion joint fail ed. The front of the joint flew about 40 to 50 feet forward, striking and killin g Employee #1. The force of the explosion broke Employee #2's left ankle. He was hospitalized for his injuries.
Victims (3)
-
#1 Fatality Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 6
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 6
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 18
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 6
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 15
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.