OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #825505
STEAM LINE,TUNNEL,ELECTRICAL VAULT,CONFINED SPACE,WORK RULES,BOILER,RUPTURE,STEAM,PIPELINE
Event description
EMPLOYEE KILLED WHEN STEAM LINE RUPTURED
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 PM ON JULY 24, 1987, A 4 INCH DIAMETER STRAINER RUPTURED RNING AT ABOUT 6 AM, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CALLED IN TO TAKE OVER THE ADJUSTMENTS OF T HE PILOT VALVES. FROM 6:45 TO 9 AM HE WAS WORKING BY HIMSELF. AT APPROXIMATELY 9 AM THE 4 INCH STRAINER RUPTURED AGAIN. HE HURRIED INTO THE TUNNEL TRYING TO ESC APE THE STEAM. HE DID NOT MAKE IT TO SAFETY. HIS BODY WAS FOUND IN THE TUNNEL AB OUT 30 FEET FROM THE DOORWAY LEADING INTO THE BOILER ROOM. THE VAULT WAS 16 FEET , 8 INCHES LONG, 8 FEET WIDE AND 8 FEET, 11 INCHES HIGH. THE TUNNEL WAS 223 FEET , 7 INCHES LONG, 6 FEET, 10 INCHES WIDE AND 10 FEET HIGH. CAUSING A HIGH PRESSURE STEAM LEAK. THE STRAINER WAS PART OF A STEAM PIPELINE WH ICH ENTERS THE BOILER ROOM OF THE I.B.M. BUILDING. THE STEAM LEAK WAS LOCATED IN AN UNDERGROUND VAULT, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO A TUNNEL LEADING INTO THE BOILER RO OM OF THE I.B.M. BUILDING. THE VAULT HAS A REMOVABLE METAL GRATE TOP FROM WHICH A WORK LADDER IS USED TO GAIN ACCESS INTO THE VAULT. THE NIGHT CREW HAD REPLACED THE RUPTURED STRAINER WITH A NEW ONE. IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE NEXT DA Y (7/25), SEVERAL EMPLOYEES HAD TROUBLE ADJUSTING THE REGULATOR PILOT VALVES. TH E PILOT VALVES CONTROL THE STEAM PRESSURE FLOW INTO THE I.B.M. BUILDING. THAT MO
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 6
- Occupation code
- 585
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
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