A big part of an energy isolation/control plan for Line Break/Equipment Opening tasks is how to EVACUATE the stored energy after the isolation. In this case, it was STEAM that had cooled into hot condensate, which was NOT drained from the piping before work began to fix the steam leak. A VERY COMMON error made, and why Steam and Hot Condensate should be included in our LEO Safe Work Permitting process.
An asphalt research and production company has been ordered to pay $30,100 in penalties after a worker who had been just two weeks on the job was badly burned while fixing a leaking steam line in 2023. The court was told that, as part of its operations, the facility receives asphalt by railcar, unloads it by circulating pressurized steam at 280°F, and then pumps the product through a hose.
On June 30, 2023, a terminal technician was tasked with fixing a leak in the steam connection to a railcar, but failed to first drain the line and received third-degree burns to his midsection and thighs when the residual water came out. While he had received orientation and on-the-job training, and had watched others address leaks, the company failed to communicate to him the potential hazards or provide him with the proper instruction, training, and supervision for the task, according to an agreed statement of facts.
The worker was treated in the burn unit of the QEII Health Sciences Centre. He was ready to be discharged after a week, the court heard, but was too distraught and needed a few extra days in hospital.
He was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and did not return to work at the facility for nearly two years. The worker, who has two children, filed for bankruptcy during that period.
The company had no prior offences, and following the incident, spent $27,000 on enhanced protective equipment and brought in an outside consultant to review safety training and procedures.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/waverley-asphalt-company-worker-burned-fined-9.7072330