A New Mexico construction company recently received a citation from the state after an untrained employee was allowed to operate highly pressurized equipment and was injured.
According to state records, the citation results from an incident in February at A.R. Foreman Construction in Carlsbad. Inspectors found that an untrained worker was injured when they accidentally overpressurized an actuator valve with nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen is often used in construction operations for tasks like pressure testing, pipeline purges and powering pneumatic systems. On its own, and when handled properly, the gas is safe and inert. But when it’s forced into a valve at higher pressures than the valve was designed to withstand, the valve can suffer a catastrophic failure. Unlike a slow leak, which may be contained or vented, a catastrophic failure can produce an explosion.
According to safety experts, this type of accident can cause very serious injury. The sudden release of high-pressure gas produces a blast effect, capable of knocking a person backward or causing severe blunt-force trauma. Components of the equipment can rupture, flinging tiny metal or plastic fragments into the nearby area. Even small fragments can cause serious injury when launched by thousands of pounds of pressure.
The nitrogen gas itself can also cause serious injury. When it expands from a compressed state, nitrogen becomes extremely cold. Escaping gas can instantly freeze skin or eyes and cause injuries or blindness. It can also displace the local oxygen if it’s released in an unventilated room. Since it is odorless and tasteless, workers in the area of a leak are often in danger of suffocation.
It doesn’t appear as though the injured worker was hospitalized by the accident, since the inspector’s report doesn’t explicitly mention any treatment, as is usually the case. But the full extent of the injury isn’t made clear.
The state’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (NM OSHA) determined that the company violated federal construction safety standards by allowing the untrained worker to operate the actuator valve. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) regulations say that only trained and qualified personnel are allowed to operate or maintain pressurized systems. OSHA’s rules are designed to prevent exactly this type of accident. Allowing untrained employees to operate these complex and dangerous systems opens the door to serious injuries.
To comply with the state’s order, A. R. Foreman Construction has to correct its practices and ensure that workers are properly trained going forward. The company is also facing a $13,243 penalty to the state.
The Carlsbad-based company operates primarily in oil and gas field construction, specializing in pipeline construction and maintenance. It did not respond to a request for comment.
