A process worker and colleague were preparing for a scheduled maintenance task in the ammonia storage area of a processing plant.
As part of a routine purging operation, the process worker connected a flexible rubber hose via a coupling to a purge connection point. The purge hose was charged with nitrogen, and the valve was being opened slowly, allowing nitrogen to flow into the system, when the hose ruptured above the connection point.
The worker was exposed below the waist to pressurized anhydrous ammonia at approximately -28°F and was enveloped in the ensuing ammonia cloud. His colleague was able to get the worker to a nearby safety shower before contacting the site’s emergency services. The worker was air-lifted to a city hospital and treated for severe chemical burns.