OSHA Considers Investigation of USCB Pipe Blast That Injured Worker

A pipe blast occurring at the University of South Carolina’s Beaufort (USCB) campus that injured a construction worker resulted in the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (SCOSHA) announcing that it would evaluate the accident to determine whether an investigation is warranted. The worker was airlifted to a hospital on August 18 after a pipe exploded due to what the worker’s supervisor called faulty equipment.

The explosion resulting in the worker’s injury occurred when construction workers were doing pipe work under a parking lot being constructed on the USCB campus. An inflatable pipe plug was being used to keep water out of the area where the workers were working to convert the area from a dirt lot to a paved parking lot. The particular worker worked as a diver for Majer’s Diving and Salvage Co., and he was injured when the pipe plug became overpressurized and exploded. While the owner of the diving and salvage company attributed the explosion to faulty equipment, further details on the exact cause of the explosion were not given, nor were specific details on the full nature of the worker’s injuries. The accident was serious enough, however, for first responders to order that the worker be airlifted to a hospital, and the university evacuated the campus temporarily following the explosion. The allegedly faulty equipment was owned by the diving and salvage company employing the worker.

The South Carolina OSHA office indicated in a statement that it would be evaluating the accident to determine whether an investigation would take place, and stated that it only automatically opens an investigation into construction accidents where there is a fatality or where three or more workers are injured. Fed OSHA recently released guidelines on construction work performed in confined spaces, which became effective August 3, 2015. OSHA defines confined space to include worksites not designed for continuous occupancy and which are difficult to exit in the event of an emergency. Such sites would include sewers, manholes, tanks, pits, and likely the worksite at the USCB campus where the worker was injured. The new OSHA standards require employers to evaluate worksites with potential confined spaces to determine if the guidelines would apply, and, to the extent that the guidelines do apply, the standards require employers to provide training for workers, conduct analysis of physical and atmospheric risks, and provide for safe means of entry and exit from the confined spaces. OSHA estimates that the new guidelines will prevent around 780 serious worker injuries a year on construction sites.

If you or a loved on has been injured on the job, reach out to the seasoned Columbia workers’ compensation and personal injury attorneys at Peake & Fowler for a no-cost consultation on your potential legal claim.