Incident date: 2024-06-10
NAICS industry code: 314110

An employee was cleaning/unjamming polymer that had hardened inside the pipe near the ball valve. As the employee was chipping it away with a pole, the ball valve that was in a locked-open position failed, released, and snapped close on the pole, causing the pole to jerk back and strike him in the face. The employee sustained a fracture to the face that required hospitalization.

Hazard classification:
code_event: title: Struck by other propelled object or substance  n.e.c.
code_source: title: Tools, instruments, and equipment  unspecified
code_nature: title: Fractures
code_body: title: Ears and facial region  unspecified
severity: moderate