OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14506273

AIR PRESSURE,COMPRESSOR,HEAD,MAINTENANCE,VALVE,STRUCK BY

1985-05-08T00:00:00

Event: AIR PRESSURE,COMPRESSOR,HEAD,MAINTENANCE,VALVE,STRUCK BY
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14506273
Report ID: 830500

Event description

EMPLOYEE STRUCK BY SEPARATING COPPER SOLDER JOINTS

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS PERFORMING HIS ASSIGNED DUTIES OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON A B-370 COMPRESSOR WHILE THE COMPRESSOR WAS TURNED OFF. THE COMPRESSOR WAS STARTED WITHOUT THE DISCHARGE VALVE BEING OPENED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE AIR PRESSURE TO BUI LD UP IN THE DISCHARGE LINE. THIS CAUSED THE SEPARATION OF THE COPPER SOLDER JOI NTS OF THE DISCHARGE LINE. THESE SOLDER JOINTS STRUCK EMPLOYEE #1 IN THE HEAD AN D KILLED HIM. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WORKING ALONE AND WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL HOURS A FTER HIS REGULAR WORK SHIFT ENDED.

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 59 M

Nature of injury
6

Part of body
13

Event type
1

Source
2

Occupation code
999

Human factor
6

Environmental factor
5

Task assigned
1

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