Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 123344.015 - Employee sustains burns when valve fails and pipe bursts

Accident Summary Nr: 123344.015 -- Report ID: 0420600 -- Event Date: 12/17/2019
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
1457377.015	01/13/2020		238220	Harper Limbach Llc

Abstract: At 11:30 a.m. on December 17, 2019, an employee working as a pipefitter for a plumbing and HVAC contractor was installing piping at a new facility. The employee was checking the system for leaks. The employee was working with coworkers flushing the new system with water using PVC pipe rated for 130 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, water in the steam portion of the system was being brought up to temperatures ranging from 140 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result of a mis-wired electronic valve, steam heated the water in the part of the system being flushed and caused the PVC pipe to burst. When the piping came loose, the employee was sprayed with 180 degrees Fahrenheit water. The employee sustained second degree burns to his chest and knees and was hospitalized.

Keywords: Burn, Chest, Defect, High Temperature, Hot Water, Installing, Knee, Leak, Leg, Malfunction, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Pipe, Plumbing, Regulator Valve, Sprayed, Steam, Struck By, Testing, Water Pipe, Work Surface

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Pipeline		New project or new addition			0	0

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	1457377.015	34	M	Hospitalized injury		Plumber, pipefitter and steamfiter apprentices	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Installing plumbing, lighting fixtures Fatality Cause:

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