Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310200571 - St. Ives Laboratories, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On March 11, 2008, Employee #1, a sanitizer with a company that bottled hair and beauty products, was walking from a storage tank area to a production area to meet with the personnel from the next shift to transfer duties. Another employee was cleaning line 2. The cleaning process involved the flushing of product from the product line carousel through interchangeable steel pipes assembled prior to the cleaning process. The steel pipes were connected to a flexible hose through a reducer fitting. The hose allowed water to drain to a floor drain. The lines would be flushed and a "pig" would be inserted into the line. The line would then be pressurized with compressed air to force the remaining water through the piping system to the drain. It was at this point in the process that Employee #1 was walking past the pipe and hose assembly. Pressurized 160-degree Fahrenheit water sprayed from the hose-reducer-pipe assembly and scalded Employee #1. He was hospitalized for treatment of second- and third-degree burns on his right side.

Keywords: BURN, LEAK, CLEANING, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, HOSE, PRESSURE PIPING, PIPE, PRESSURE RELEASE, HOT WATER, WATER