Martin Operating Partnership LLP

An employee was using a portable 3-inch centrifugal trash pump to move water from a unit slab containment to a tank. The water had a pH of 6.67. When the tank gauge showed that the elevations were not changing, it was determined the gas-operated pump had lost its prime, causing heat to generate due to the internal friction of the pump. The employee turned the pump off and blocked in the influent line. The discharge hose was then disconnected from the pump. When this disconnection occurred, hot water and steam were released from the pump and contacted with the employee. The employee suffered second-degree burns on their chest, stomach, thigh, and arm that required hospitalization.