Process Engineers, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on May 4, 2021: Employee burns upper body when cutting metal with acetylene

At 7:00 p.m. on May 4, 2021, an employee working as a manager for an engineering services was using an oxyacetylene torch to cut mild steel square tubing. The employee was working outside near the northern roll-up door at the rear of the facility. He lit the torch and adjusted it to a proper gas rate and gas mixture. In order to test these adjustments, he proceeded to conduct a test cut on the metal. A 9-inch by 4-inch square cut-off from the tube detached and fell to the floor. As it fell, the red hot metal bounced off the concrete and landed on the gas hoses connecting the oxygen and acetylene tanks to the torch. The hot metal burned through both hoses and ignited the now escaping gasses. The flame spread in every direction from the severed hoses which were now whipping. The flame engulfed the back of the employee's clothing and simultaneously the flames came into contact with a nearby 55-gallon drum that had contained a small amount of waste oil. The waste oil ignited and caused a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE). The employee was transported to the hospital before being transported to a medical center, where he was admitted. The employee was placed into an induced coma and underwent several skin grafts and other treatments for severe burns to his upper body. On July 29, 2021, the employee was discharged after 87 days of hospitalization. On August 24, 2021, the employee was admitted to a university medical center due to complications and is currently unable to verbally communicate.