Narrative:

Employee followed gpm on pbe disposal. 3 pbe were discharged with no event. Fourth pbe exploded when lanyard was pulled. I was informed that this had happened the night before, but no one was hurt. That mechanic pulled the pin. Then after 1 or 2 mins the pbe exploded in a shower of sparks. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that his function is the union safety representative and the injured tech reported the details of the personal breathing equipment explosion. The reporter stated the technician was working an engineering change order to remove the devices that had a certain part number and a colored line due to bag seal leakage. The reporter stated the change order instructed the technician to open the bag and discharge the device per the general procedures manual. The reporter said the manual required the device be discharged outside on a metal table away from any inflatables. The reporter stated that four devices were taken to the discharge site where the technician discharged three devices with no problem. The reporter said the forth device was opened, the lanyard pulled and the device exploded like a 12 gauge shotgun shell. The reporter stated a 45 degree metal elbow with a short tube attached struck the technician incurring a severe bruise. The reporter said this is the third known incident involving discharging these devices. The reporter stated the first incident the details were not clear on how the device reacted but the second incident the lanyard was pulled, a delay of one to two mins occurred then the device exploded in a shower of sparks. The reporter said engineering has just released a bulletin not to discharge these devices but to store them in a steel drum.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE WORKING AN ENGINEERING CHANGE ORDER A TECHNICIAN FOLLOWING THE GENERAL PROCS MANUAL DISCHARGED A PERSONAL BREATHING EQUIPMENT DEVICE AND WAS INJURED WHEN THE DEVICE EXPLODED.

Narrative: EMPLOYEE FOLLOWED GPM ON PBE DISPOSAL. 3 PBE WERE DISCHARGED WITH NO EVENT. FOURTH PBE EXPLODED WHEN LANYARD WAS PULLED. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED THE NIGHT BEFORE, BUT NO ONE WAS HURT. THAT MECHANIC PULLED THE PIN. THEN AFTER 1 OR 2 MINS THE PBE EXPLODED IN A SHOWER OF SPARKS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS FUNCTION IS THE UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE AND THE INJURED TECH RPTED THE DETAILS OF THE PERSONAL BREATHING EQUIPMENT EXPLOSION. THE RPTR STATED THE TECHNICIAN WAS WORKING AN ENGINEERING CHANGE ORDER TO REMOVE THE DEVICES THAT HAD A CERTAIN PART NUMBER AND A COLORED LINE DUE TO BAG SEAL LEAKAGE. THE RPTR STATED THE CHANGE ORDER INSTRUCTED THE TECHNICIAN TO OPEN THE BAG AND DISCHARGE THE DEVICE PER THE GENERAL PROCS MANUAL. THE RPTR SAID THE MANUAL REQUIRED THE DEVICE BE DISCHARGED OUTSIDE ON A METAL TABLE AWAY FROM ANY INFLATABLES. THE RPTR STATED THAT FOUR DEVICES WERE TAKEN TO THE DISCHARGE SITE WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DISCHARGED THREE DEVICES WITH NO PROB. THE RPTR SAID THE FORTH DEVICE WAS OPENED, THE LANYARD PULLED AND THE DEVICE EXPLODED LIKE A 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN SHELL. THE RPTR STATED A 45 DEG METAL ELBOW WITH A SHORT TUBE ATTACHED STRUCK THE TECHNICIAN INCURRING A SEVERE BRUISE. THE RPTR SAID THIS IS THE THIRD KNOWN INCIDENT INVOLVING DISCHARGING THESE DEVICES. THE RPTR STATED THE FIRST INCIDENT THE DETAILS WERE NOT CLR ON HOW THE DEVICE REACTED BUT THE SECOND INCIDENT THE LANYARD WAS PULLED, A DELAY OF ONE TO TWO MINS OCCURRED THEN THE DEVICE EXPLODED IN A SHOWER OF SPARKS. THE RPTR SAID ENGINEERING HAS JUST RELEASED A BULLETIN NOT TO DISCHARGE THESE DEVICES BUT TO STORE THEM IN A STEEL DRUM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.