Abstract: At approximately 8:00 a.m. on June 2, 1999, Employee #1 was in a tunnel, working on a piece of equipment used to blow pea gravel into the spaces around utility lines that had been laid in the tunnel. The apparatus consisted of a gravel pot connected to a 2 in. diameter hose that was coupled to a longer hose that fed into the tunnel. The device had become jammed and Employee #1 was tapping on the pot with a 16 oz hammer when the hose separated from the compression fitting or coupling. Employee #1 and Employee #2, who happened to be passing by, were struck in the face by the pea gravel as it was shot from the detached hose at a force of 70 psi. Both sustained multiple lacerations and abrasions, but did not require hospitalization. Subsequent investigation revealed the following factors: 1) Employee #1 was not wearing any eye protection and Employee #2 was using only regular sunglasses; both admitted they were told to wear eye protection the day before the accident when they had been trained on the equipment; 2) Employee #1's tapping on the gravel pot probably contributed to the hose separating from its coupling; 3) it was not possible to see how tight the compression fitting was before the accident but it is believed the hose had not been fully installed inside the compression fitting and/or the compression fitting had not been adequately tightened; 4) the equipment had been in use for 1 to 1 1/2 days prior to the accident but that morning a backhoe with a chain had moved the gravel pot between 5 and 6 ft, although it is not clear if this impacted the coupling; 5) the employer claimed training had been given on the safe operation of the equipment, although there was disagreement on who received training and when; and 6) the employer also claimed the training had been documented, but none was provided and the trainer said none existed. Employees #1 and #2 stated that they had been trained the day before the accident.