Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301408308 - Whc, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Houston South Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 and four other employees were pre-testing four 600-foot-long sections of pipeline by pressurizing them with water. Employee #1 was the mechanic on the job to run the high pressure pump. The pipelines were being put in to supply the new plant with natural gas. Employee #1 and the other employees were to put the valves and fittings on the pipelines so that air could be released from the pipeline as water was put in. Their procedure for assembling the fittings was to use Teflon tape on every joint and tighten the joints using a cheaper pipe. The lines were filled with approximately 40,000 gallons of water. However, due to an insufficient amount of water, the crew had to stop the test and wait for more water to be delivered. The additional 1,400 gallons of water was delivered the next day and the test resumed. The test required that the pressure be brought up between 1755 and 1800 pounds per square inch (psi). Another employee was stationed at the small pump which supplied water to the pressure pump. He was there to keep it from tipping over. Meanwhile, Employee #1 was controlling the high-pressure pump by using a foot pedal. After the pressure of the system reached 1600 psi, a three-inch nipple, a valve, and a plug blew off of one of the test lines. The valve struck Employee #1 in the back and caused him to lose consciousness. Employee #1 was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Keywords: UNCONSCIOUSNESS, FOOT CONTROL, GAS, BACK, PIPELINE, VALVE, STRUCK BY, PUMP, WATER