Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14559082

NORTHWINDS OF WYOMING INC

DOUGLAS, WY—

Event
HEAD, EXPLOSION, HIGH PRESSURE PIPE, NATURAL GAS, RUPTURE, PIPELINE
NAICS
000000
Inspection type
Accident-driven
Activity number
#3357993
Employer profile
NORTHWINDS OF WYOMING INC
Summary number
14559082
Report ID
855610

Event description

NATURAL GAS PIPELINE RUPTURE

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEES #1, #2 AND #3 WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CUTTING A 6 5/16 INCH INSIDE DIAM ETER NATURAL GAS PIPELINE. THE PIPELINE WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DEPRESSURIZED BEFORE THE CUTTING OPERATION WAS BEGUN. THE PIPELINE'S NORMAL OPERATING PRESSURE RANGE IS 800-1000 PSI. WHEN THE LINE WAS CUT, THE PRESSURE WAS RELEASED WITH GR EAT FORCE. THE PIPE CUTTER WAS BROKEN INTO AT LEAST FOUR PIECES. ONE PIECE STRUC K EMPLOYEE #1 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREHEAD. HE WAS BLOWN FROM THE FIVE FOOT DEE P EXCAVATION AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 110 FEET FROM THE PIPE CUT. EMPLOYEE #2 WA S BLOWN APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET FROM THE PIPE CUT. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS BLOWN APPROXIMA TLEY 15 FEET IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Victims (5)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    13
    Event type
    1
    Source
    22
    Occupation code
    869
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    5
    Hazardous substance
    8420
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    3
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    6
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    585
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    15
    Hazardous substance
    8420
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    20
    Part of body
    12
    Event type
    6
    Source
    19
    Occupation code
    869
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    15
    Hazardous substance
    8420
    Task assigned
    2

  4. #981 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

  5. #982 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.

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