UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: At 1:00 p.m. on November 27, 2017, two employees were abrasive blasting at a fac ility that manufactures asphalt paving equipment. The blasting operation took p lace inside a blasting room that was approximately 32 feet wide and 124 feet lon g. The employees were abrading a drum frame, which was approximately nine feet wide and 76 feet long, and consisted of structural steel and equipment that woul d later support a drum mixer. The drum frame was supported on one end by an axe l set which was similar to a set of axles that would support a semi-trailer. Th e axle set consisted of the axles, tires and steel beams that were attached to t he drum frame for transportation around the facility. The steel beams were appr oximately 10 inches wide with multiple openings or holes between them ranging fr om approximately two feet to four feet. The abrasive blast media was coal slag and the employees wore supplied air respirators and a blasting suits. It was Em ployee #1's first day on the job, and Employee #2 was providing on the job train ing to Employee #1. The employees started working together at approximately 12: 30 p.m. and after some practice and observation, both employees were working wit hin a few feet of each other to blast the same piece of equipment. At approxima tely 1:00 p.m., Employee #2 noticed that Employee #1 was lying on top of the axl e set and had been badly injured. The coal slag blasting media had accumulated o n the walking surfaces, making them slippery. The fine particulates created dur ing the abrasive blasting operation likely created poor visibility. The poor vi sibility combined with the narrow working surfaces, multiple holes in the surfac e and slippery conditions likely caused Employee #1 to lose his balance and acci dentally direct the blast nozzle that was operating in excess of 100 psi, at him self, causing a laceration of the inner left groin area that damaged the femoral vein and artery. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital and died on Novem ber 30, 2017 due to complications from extensive blood loss.