Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1411814.015 - A-Gas Americas

Inspection Information - Office: Toledo Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on June 14, 2019, an employee was attaching an adaptor and lines to a 1,018-lb Novec 1230 tank for collection of fire suppressant fluid. On June 14, 2019, the employee and a coworker worked to collect from a Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid tank, the tank weighed approximately 1,000 lbs. The coworker was nearby when the employee connected the employer's assembly adaptor to the tank's outlet; the assembly consisted of multiple fittings. It was when the employee initiated the collection process by pressing the tank's valve actuator pin that the Ansul 3 Flared to 3 Grooved Single Tank Swivel Adaptor (part no. 69471) failed and the fittings became powerfully removed from the tank causing an explosion-type event. The tank became airborne and struck the employee. The coworker was not in the line of the tank and was not injured. The facility sustained damage to the ceiling. The 3 inch Ansul adaptor used to depressurize the vapor and collect the liquid was not used as intended. The employee suffered multiple fracture injuries to ribs and shoulder, brain bleed, and contusions and was hospitalized for treatment.

Keywords: Bleeding, Contusion, Fracture, Open Valve, Rib, Struck By