[TheCruxofBag]

A 28-year-old worker was killed and two others injured in an explosion during testing of an air pressure control valve at an industrial unit in Maharashtra's Thane district.

The incident took place late Tuesday night in the unit located in Ambernath township where industrial valves were manufactured.

The victim, identified as S.K., had filled air in the pressure control valve and was testing the same when it exploded and its lid fell on him and crushed him. Two other workers were injured.

Charges are planned to be filed against several factory employees, including the safety manager and supervisor, for causing death by negligence, but no arrests have so far been made.

[houseoftechno]

Hmmm.

Those look maybe like water pressure regulating valves, not air PRVs. Besides their large size, these valve parts are painted blue for water service. Air PRVs are usually those small valves mounted on compressed gas tanks. I guess they could be low pressure diaphragm gas regulators.

Anyway, the only safe way to test large volume pressurized devices is with pressurized water/liquid not air, or with the air pressure limited to a safe max like 10 psi. Air compresses and results in explosions if the large device fails at high pressure. Water is relatively incompressible, so it just springs a leak if there is a failure.

Whoever specified air tests for that equipment screwed up big time. Either it needed better over-pressure protection, or should have been mounted in an unmanned explosion-proof test room.

[durt]

Like getting shot with a 00ga. shotgun