OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #977694
COMBUSTION ENGINEERING INC
CHATTANOOGA, TN·
Event description
Employee killed when struck by flying steel pipe elbow
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 was preparing to make a cut on a steel pipe elbow that was approxima pm) the machine would automatically speed up to the maximum rpm. This is assumed to be the cause of the excessive rpm. tely 56 in. long by 20 1/2 in. in diameter and estimated to weigh 1,500 to 2,000 lb. The work piece was held in a steel cradle that was mounted on the table of a Toshiba Shibaura CNC vertical mill #7838. The work piece broke free from the c radle, apparently from excessive machine rpm, and was thrown from the machine. E mployee #1, who was standing at a moveable panel approximately 4 ft away, was st ruck and suffered multiple injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen from which h e died. This mill was equipped with an override control that controlled the tabl e rpm. When turned down past the lowest setting (50 percent of maximum cutting r
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 39 Male
- Nature of injury
- Bruise/Contus/Abras (3)
- Part of body
- MULTIPLE (19)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- MACHINE (26)
- Occupation
- Machinists (637)
- Human factor
- OTHER (14)
- Environmental factor
- FLYING OBJECT ACTION (5)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.