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Large Loss Lessons Learned
Corrosive Chemical Vapor Release
During Valve Replacement
Two employees were replacing piping, gauges and valves
on a tank containing a highly irritating and corrosive
gas at a customer’s site. The day before the
accident the employees tested the safety shower to
verify there was water flow, and then began evacuating
the tank while maintaining the system under negative
pressure. The downstream valves connected to the plant
process were not locked or tagged out. When the two
employees arrived on the second day they began removing
valves without checking the system to verify if it
was still under negative pressure, without checking
the position of the downstream valves, and without
testing the safety shower again for water flow. While
unbolting a flange at the base of the tank pressurized
gas vaporized into the employees face and upper body.
He irrigated his face with a squirt bottle, doused
himself with a 5 gallon water jug, ran to the safety
shower 40 feet away and tried to operate the shower,
but it did not provide any water flow. The employee
was wearing chemical gloves, goggles, a face shield,
hat and cotton clothing. He was subsequently transferred
to the nurses’ station and put into a shower
prior to taking an ambulance and helicopter evacuation
to a local hospital.
Consequences
-
Second-degree chemical burns to
his face, upper left arm and upper left torso
-
Three weeks in a burn unit at the
hospital
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Months of lost time and therapy
to recover from the injury
-
Total Incurred Costs of $841,000
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Require that employees hand record
all gauge readings on a job task form prior to and
following any work; this will prompt employees to
mentally check that the lines are under the desired
pressure.
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As part of all customer agreements,
the responsibility for identifying all required
process safety locks should be defined. Both the
customer and subcontractor should identify and review
all process isolation and safety locks and/or tags
that are applied.
-
A reassessment of all of the personal
protective equipment should be performed, to determine
if alternative PPE should be incorporated when working
on projects that involve process lines that are
or have been previously charged.
-
All safety support equipment on
the site should be identified and tested daily prior
to commencing work to verify that all systems are
operable and accessible.
Please contact the Risk Control division of XL Insurance
at 800- 327-1414 if you have any questions regarding
PPE Hazard Assessments, job hazard analyses, lockout/tagout
programs, or other health, safety, or environmental
issues affecting your operations.
"XL Insurance" is a registered trademark
of XL Capital Ltd. XL Insurance is the global brand
used by member insurers of the XL Capital Ltd group
of companies.
For general information purposes only. Contents
should not be construed or used as legal advice or opinion.
XL Insurance
520 Eagleview Blvd
PO Box 636
Exton, PA 19341-0636
Tel: +1 800-327-1414
Fax: +1 610-458-8667
www.xlinsurance.com/environmental
© X.L. America, Inc. All rights reserved.
FUNDAMENTAL STRENGTH –
CAPITAL AND PEOPLE
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