Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125879379 - Hydranautics

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:15 p.m. on September 25, 2007, Employee #1 was changing out elements (spiral-wound semi-permeable membrane) on a rental Reverse Osmosis unit (Serial Number 5826-3) being used to treat waste water before it's discharged into a city's sewer system. Employee #1 was reinstalling the filtration elements inside a vessel tube (large metal tube closed on both end with end caps where the filtration elements reside). The rental unit has four element vessels. The bleeder valves are attached to only one end of the four element vessels and it is here where air and water can be siphoned off allowing the water pressure to increase through the use of high pressure pump (700-psi to 900-psi). The contaminated waste water is pushed through the reverse osmosis membrane inside these elements resulting in the production of cleaner water. After installing the new elements, Employee #1 locked down the end caps using clamps and then began to bleed off the internal air from the system until a steady stream of water emerged from each of the four bleeder valves. Once a steady flow of water was obtained Employee #1 started the high pressure pump and attempted to close all four bleeder valves. Employee #1 accomplished closing a couple of the bleeder valves when the end cap on one of the element vessels exploded and struck Employee #1's left forearm. Employee #1 had missing pieces of flesh from his forearm and bone sticking out of his forearm after the accident. Employee #1 was hospitalized for six days and while in the hospital had surgery to put pins in to hold his forearm bones together.

Keywords: FRACTURE, EXPLOSION, LACERATION, STRUCK BY, ARM, FLYING OBJECT