Incident date: 2017-10-09
NAICS industry code: 237120

On October 9, 2017, at approximately 10:00 a.m., a traveling crew was working on a new natural gas pipeline installation. The crew was forcefully inserting a plunger (under mechanical pressure from an excavator) into the pipeline for standard pipe cleaning when its apparatus became disconnected from the excavator and flew out, striking the injured employee in the head/face. He lost consciousness and suffered a concussion, multiple contusions, multiple abrasions, and fractures to the nose and nasal cavity. He was hospitalized.

Hazard classification:
code_event: title: Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
code_source: title: Tools, instruments, and equipment, n.e.c.
code_nature: title: Concussions
code_body: title: Brain
severity: moderate