Inspection Detail
Inspection: 106508005 - Wisconsin Public Service Corp Weston 4
Inspection Information - Office: Appleton Area Office
Site Address:
Wisconsin Public Service Corp Weston 4
2501 Morrison Ave
Rothschild, WI 54474
Mailing Address:
2501 Morrison Ave, Rothchild, WI 54474
Union Status: Union
SIC:4911
NAICS: 0
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Partial
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 03/11/1993
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 07/09/1993
| Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 361105752 |
| Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Current Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Initial Penalty | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 |
| Current Penalty | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 |
| FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| # | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 01001 | Serious | 5A0001 | 05/17/1993 | 05/20/1993 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | - |
Investigation Summary
An electric utility employee was cleaning ash out of a boiler. He was on a regularly scheduled job rotation from another plant where he conducted similar work. The operation involved sucking the ash out of the bottom of the boiler through a hopper box with a water pressure line (sluice line) below, creating a venturi vacuum effect. The hopper had two relief points. The first one was an open vent from the hopper to the boiler, but this vent had been plugged for over a month. The other was a relief valve that was inoperable because its sensor had been turned off somehow. Apparently, the discharge valve in the sluice line was not completely open (or the line was plugged) when the flow valve was opened, and water pressure from the sluice line backed up. This pressurized the hopper, and the door (the weakest link) blew off, hitting the employee in the head and chest area and throwing him about a meter or two. He died of injuries sustained in the accident.
Keywords: CHEST, HEAD, INADEQUATE MAINT, CLOGGED, HIGH PRESSURE, STRUCK BY, FLYING OBJECT, DOOR, PRESSURE RELEASE, HOPPER
| # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 106508005 | Fatality | Concussion | Power plant operators |
Translate