Walker Die Casting, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jul 26, 2015 (fatal): Employee is killed when struck by pressurized hose

At 11:45 p.m. on July 26, 2015, Employee #1 was removing the accumulator bottle from the #80 3,000-ton die cast machine. The nitrogen gas bottle and the accumulator bottle for the #80 die cast machine was connected by a four foot hose. Before the accumulator bottle could be removed, the nitrogen gas had to be removed or isolated. In order to remove the nitrogen gas, both bottles had to be drained of their contents by opening the valves at the bottom of the bottles (the two inch valve remained open). In order to isolate the nitrogen gas, the two inch valve at the top of the nitrogen gas bottle had to be closed, isolating the nitrogen gas inside the nitrogen gas bottle, and the adjacent quarter inch valve, which empties the nitrogen from the accumulator bottle, had to be opened. Another employee opened the valves at the bottom of the nitrogen gas and accumulator bottles to release the contents while Employee #1 stood on a scissor lift, waiting for the release to complete before removing the hose, which can store up to 1,200 psi of pressure. When Employee #1 removed the four foot hose, it hit him twice, killing him. According to the employer, the valve at the top of the accumulator bottle was closed. Upon review of the scene following the accident, it is unclear whether the valve on the nitrogen gas bottle was not initially open before attempting to release the contents of the bottles, or if the valve was closed before the contents had been completely released. contents had been completely released.