Flawed pressure-test method killed foreman at Anjou construction company, CNESST rules
Quebec's workplace safety agency concluded inadequate safeguards during a pneumatic pipe test on Nov. 20 led to one death and serious injuries at SCV-Enercor.
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A flawed work method used to conduct a pressure test on a pressurized pipe caused the death of a foreman and injuries to a second worker on November 20 at SCV-Enercor in Anjou, Quebec's workplace safety agency concluded in a report released this week.
The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) determined that the procedure used for the pneumatic pressure test did not adequately control the risk of being struck by the pressurized equipment.
Workers were testing the leak-tightness of a 25.6-foot-long stainless steel pipe weighing 618 pounds. During the test, compressed air was released, ejecting the collar and plug. The pipe was propelled forward, striking the foreman—who stood one meter away—and a nearby worker.
"The absence of restraint devices, combined with the rapid release of compressed air and the weight of the hose, caused it to move violently and uncontrollably," CNESST inspectors wrote. "As it moved, the hose fatally struck the foreman and seriously injured the worker who was nearby."
The agency documented "several nonconformities" in the work procedure. The report concludes the procedure was "deficient because it does not control the risk of being struck by the hose." No restraint systems were in place to prevent the pipe's violent movement.
The facts
What happened at SCV-Enercor on November 20?
A foreman was killed and another worker seriously injured when a pressurized stainless steel pipe was propelled forward during a pneumatic pressure test at SCV-Enercor in Anjou, Quebec.
Why did the pipe move violently?
Compressed air was rapidly released from the 618-pound stainless steel pipe during testing, and no restraint devices were in place to control its movement.
What did CNESST say was wrong with the work procedure?
CNESST found the procedure was deficient because it failed to control the risk of being struck by the hose and lacked restraint systems to prevent the pipe's violent and uncontrollable movement.
