Abstract: Employee #1 and coworkers at a carbide plant were opening valves between a chilling unit and the vinyl acetate reactor's water cooling system after a chilling system was awned and installed by a contractor, Mobil Air, Inc. The chilling unit, which was also manufactured by Mobil Air, was rated at 100 PSIS. After installing the equipment, Mobil Air employees left the carbide plant. The plant employees opened valves to allow the reactor's 100 degree Celsius cooling water to circulate through the chiller. The pressure on the reactor was 138 PSIS. A cam and groove coupling manufactured by Seal Fast, Inc., and rated at 100 PSIS, failed and Employee #1 was burned by scalding water from the reactor. He was killed.