Alert
  • Published: 28 Nov 2019
  • Incident ID: 4305

Burn to right hand caused by hot steam pipe

Cause & Consequence

  • Contact with something fixed or stationary

Other Cause & Consequence

Carelessness

Contributing Factor

  • Complacency

Description of Process

A technician was working within a restricted space prepping pipework appropriately. This involved manoeuvring around different pipes and lines to get to the correct test point for inspection. The location of the test point was in an awkward place and required the technician to remain in a static position.

Description of Incident

During the preparation of the pipework the technician removed his right hand glove to search for a pen in his coveralls’ chest pocket. The technician then turned to adjust his position, placing his hand on a hot steam pipe.

The technician made a full recovery with no additional implications occurring after as a result of the incident.

Good Practice Guidance

Improved preparation could have resulted in the avoidance of this incident. All required tools should be made readily available before the commencement of the pipework, avoiding the removal of PPE. It should be noted, PPE is the last line of defence, hot pipes should be covered to protect people from inadvertently coming into contact with them.

Regardless of the working environment, it is important to have good knowledge and understanding of what is around you, so to not touch anything that may be hot or sharp. Working environments should be assessed dynamically throughout by the technician and his buddy.

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