Accident: 603282 - Killed When Sandblasting Pot Explodes

Employee #1 was working alone in a maintenance shop, attempting to operate a sandblasting pot which appeared to be homemade. The pot was without identification, stampings, or markings. The sandblasting pot had been purchased at a second-hand equipment auction by the employee's father and there were no manufacturer's guidelines. The pot was not equipped with an automatic overpressure relief valve. Air pressure applied to the pot was approximately 150 psi, which evidently is much more than it was designed to withstand. The top completely separated from the rest of the pot, striking the employee in the face and neck and killing him.

struck by, abrasive blasting, sandblasting, face, neck, concussion, overloaded, pressure release, valve, air pressure

Accident: 795021 - Thigh Lacerated With Abrasive From Machine

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on October 2, 1990, Employee #1 was attempting to clear an abrasive blasting machine. He first disconnected the air supply line and then took the nozzle end and the air supply line and held them together between his legs to backflush the machine. When Employee #1 lost his grip, the nozzle end with the pressurized abrasive lacerated his right thigh. He was hospitalized for three days for a laceration with the abrasive in it.

construction, abrasive blasting, clogged, hose, accidental discharge, thigh, laceration, lost control, high pressure, work rules

Accident: 14493290 - Asphyxiated By Nitrogen In Sandblasting Hood

When Employee #1 could not obtain breathing air from the installed line, he adapted unapproved hoses with quick disconnects so he could connect a respirator for use in abrasive blasting to a gas line supplying a blasting pot. This piping was not color coded or labeled in accordance with company policy, so Employee #1 did not know he was connecting to a nitrogen line instead of compressed air. He died of asphyxia. Since nitrogen is a waste gas in an air separation plant, it is used instead of compressed air for operating pneumatic equipment.

abrasive blasting, asphyxiated, work rules, nitrogen, air line respirator, ppe, mech malfunction, air line, inhalation, sandblasting

Accident: 14521470 - Electric Shock - Contact With Overhead Line

THE OWNER OF A COMPANY AND ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES WERE ABRASIVE BLASTING A BUILDING EXTERIOR FROM A JLG AERIAL LIFT. ALTHOUGH THIS PORTION OF THE JOB WOULD PLACE THE AERIAL LIFT NEAR A 7200-VOLT OVERHEAD POWER LINE, THE EMPLOYER PROCEEDED TO RAISE THE LIFT RATHER THAN DELAY THE JOB WAITING FOR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY TO GUARD THE LINES. DURING THE ABRASIVE BLASTING OPERATION, THE EMPLOYER OR THE AERIAL LIFT BUCKET CONTACTED THE POWER LINE; AND THE EMPLOYER, WHO WAS HOLDING THE BLASTING NOZZLE WAS ELECTROCUTED. THE EMPLOYEE IN THE LIFT RECEIVED A LESSER ELECTRIC SHOCK, BUT WAS INJURED MORE SEVERELY WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY THE ABRASIVE BLAST AS THE EMPLOYER TURNED TOWARD THE EMPLOYEE WITH THE EQUIPMENT STILL OPERATING. A SECOND EMPLOYEE WAS INJURED WHEN HE FELL FROM THE BOOM OF THE AERIAL LIFT AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE THE INJURED PERSONS IN THE LIFT. HIS FALL RESULTED IN MULTIPLE FRACTURES. BOTH EMPLOYEES WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR THEIR INJURIES.

electrical, electrocuted, electric shock, fall, struck by, overhead power line, aerial lift, abrasive blasting, fracture

Accident: 14332423 - Asphyxiated In Rail Car; Air Compressor Failed

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS SANDBLASTING INSIDE A 1,620 CUBIC FOOT RAIL CAR COMPARTMENT. AN OIL HOSE CAME LOOSE ON THE DAVEY AIR COMPRESSOR, S/N 35808. THE EMPLOYEE WAS WEARING AN AIRLINE RESPIRATOR WITH AN ABRASIVE BLASTING HOOD. THE OUTSIDE EMPLOYEE WENT TO THE RAILCAR TO CHECK ON EMPLOYEE #1 AND FOUND HIM UNCONSCIOUS. EMPLOYEE #1'S LOWER DENTURES WERE FOUND LODGED IN HIS THROAT AT THE HOSPITAL. HE DIED 7 DAYS LATER DUE TO CEREBRAL ANOXIA, WITH BRAIN DEATH SECONDARY TO ASPHYXIATION.

confined space, railroad tank car, sandblasting, respirator, asphyxiated, abrasive blasting, air line respirator

Accident: 14480875 - Fall From Scaffold

ON JUNE 21,1985 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:05 PM, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ABRASIVE BLASTING THE STRUCTURAL STEEL ON A RAMP, LEADING TO A SKYWAY, APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING FROM A SCAFFOLD WITHOUT GUARD RAILS. BECAUSE OF THE STEEL STRUCTURE, GUARD RAILS WOULD BE IMPRACTICAL. THE EMPLOYEE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TIED OFF WITH A SAFETY BELT. HE FELL FROM THE SCAFFOLD, SUSTAINING MULTIPLE INJURIES. HE DIED.

scaffold, fall, guardrail, safety belt, lanyard, abrasive blasting