Date: 201204
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZZ.ARTCC, FO
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZZ
Aircraft component: Galley Furnishing
Component problem: Design; Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Physiological - Other
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Declared Emergency; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Equipment / Tooling; Aircraft
Primary problem: Equipment / Tooling

Narrative: Flight Attendant on board aircraft in galley. Coffee machine exploded. Hot coffee grounds spewed on working Flight Attendant [causing injury] to face; eyes; mouth; neck; chest. Medical personnel on aircraft tended to emergency. Emergency landing at our destination. Paramedics met flight. Ambulance arrived; [Flight Attendant] taken to hospital for treatment.

Callback: The Reporter stated that the aft galley flight attendants were setting up for the first galley service of the flight shortly after reaching cruise. She had turned both left and right coffee makers on simultaneously; the right one for hot water only and the left one for coffee. Some time later; the brew lights went OFF almost simultaneously so she lifted the handle on the hot water only maker first. As the handle of the machine with coffee was lifted; coffee grounds forcefully exited the brew basket hitting her; the ceiling; floor; side walls and emergency exit. She was severely burned but because the flight was over foreign airspace she and her crew elected to seek aid from onboard medical personnel and not divert to an airport where medical services may be questionable. After landing at their filed domestic destination; Emergency Medical Technicians met the aircraft and transported her to a nearby medical facility where she was treated for second and third degree burns to her face; neck; chest; hands and arms. The burns were severe enough to cause the affected skin to bubble. She did not remain overnight in the burn center but the next morning was accompanied to her base by the flight's Lead Flight Attendant where she was seen at a major burn center. She returned to work 29 days after the event but continues to use a heavy protective makeup on her face; neck and chest. She did not know the brand of coffee maker but remembers that the coffee bags come in clear cellophane packaging with a written warning about possible coffee ground ejection.

Second narrative: About 25 minutes into our flight we got a call from the back galley. Our Number 2 Flight Attendant was removing the coffee grounds from the brewer and it 'exploded' in her face. She suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her face; hands; chest and arms. We did the 'request physician' PA and had an RN and a medical student answer and start assisting the injured Flight Attendant. We did not have a SATCOM airplane (go figure) so we used the Medical Emergency Quick Reference Guide and started our 'attempts' to make contact with the Company. Initial attempts to get a phone patch to Dispatch via VHF proved challenging. We then got an HF frequency and made our initial contact with Dispatch via ATC and eventually the Medical Service. After explaining our situation and the fear that the Flight Attendant was going into shock; we lost contact via HF. This is where Dispatcher really stepped it up and helped save the day. First Officer was flying and talking to ATC while I was typing to Dispatch via ACARS. We were looking at our options; nearby foreign airports or our filed domestic destination. My experience has been to try to get back to the states for the best medical attention. The word 'shock' was making that decision difficult. The Dispatcher came up with a better VHF frequency and we were then able to re-establish a phone patch Dispatch and eventually the Medical Service. The Medical Service gave us excellent advice and we administered the 'up to 1000mg of Tylenol or Acetaminophen'. This worked. As we continued the dialog with the the Medical Service and the flight attendants in the back galley; we were able to stabilize the Flight Attendant and make an informed and confident decision to continue on to our domestic destination. We pushed it up to Mach .83. We declared an Emergency and got priority handling direct to a 'base position' for our approach Runway 8R and best option to roll to the end and pull directly into our gate. I informed the passengers what was going on and asked that they remain seated until the EMT's could get down the aisle and to the back of the jet. I did ask Dispatch if it was possible to have a catering truck available and come in via the galley door in the back of the jet. The Dispatcher said EMT's would be on the jet bridge and come down the aisle. The only slight complaint; the EMT's were about 5 minutes late. Other than that - absolutely fantastic job.

Second callback: The Reporter stated that he did not know how the coffee grounds ejected so forcefully; but suspected that the water had somehow not shutoff when it was supposed to and so pressurized the brewing compartment. He did not see the injured Flight Attendant until after landing and when he did see her; she way lying in the aft galley in obvious pain and shaking from what appeared to be a state of shock. Skin bubbles were already forming on her upper body and if she had not been wearing glasses; he believes that she would have been blinded.

Synopsis: A B757 galley coffee maker exploded injuring a Flight Attendant after it spewed hot coffee grounds on her face; eyes; mouth; neck and chest.