I have limited experience with this method of isolating piping, but it is fairly often used to isolate large-diameter piping. OSHA’s investigation found that a drainpipe cleaning and maintenance company could have prevented an explosion at a Port Saint Lucie worksite in June 2024 that claimed a 24-year-old worker’s life by implementing proper safety measures to address the hazards of inflatable pipe plugs. The investigation revealed that on June 8, 2024, two contractor employees were cleaning a drainpipe at the intersection of Southwest Becker Road and Southwest Village Parkway. During the process, the pipe’s pressurized plug became over-inflated, causing an explosion so powerful that it ejected one worker 15 feet from the storm drain, resulting in fatal injuries.
OSHA cited the employer for a serious violation for failing to develop and implement procedures and train workers on how to install and remove pneumatic pipe plugs safely. This failure put workers at risk of being struck by dangerous equipment.
