Pressurised gas hose causes fatal head injuries

A Queensland worker has died after he received severe head injuries during the removal of a hose from a 100-tonne pressure vehicle.

According to a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland incident alert, it is thought that the worker was bleeding the vessel when he was struck on the head by the hose in May 2018, rendering him unconscious.

He died of his injuries in hospital and investigations are ongoing.

There are a variety of pressure vessels, lines and hoses which can pose hazards. These include boilers, air compressors and receivers, gas storage tanks and associated equipment. A failure or sudden release of a line or a hose under pressure can be devastating to people nearby.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland advises that before performing any work on a pressurised system, a risk assessment must be carried out to determine factors such as:

• the type of system and the pressure within the vessel and associated lines and hoses
• previous maintenance history of the plant, including its condition
• the complexity of the system and its controls
• the competency required of each person who will be working on the system.

The incident alert goes on to advise that the person with management and control of the system must ensure that it is safe to begin work on. When working on pressurised hoses for gas or fluid transfer from one vessel to another, ensure:

• hoses intended for fluid transfer from one vessel to another are properly attached to both vessels before valves are opened
• valves or controls are properly closed and that the pressure has been bled from the system before hoses or lines are removed
• the hose and its end fittings are of the correct type and pressure rating and that they are in good condition
• if part of the hose is to be restrained by fixing, that the fixing is of a type specified by the hose manufacturer or an engineer.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Matthew Benoit