The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety has released a Firefighter Fatality and Serious Injury report detailing a 2009 incident involving the catastophic failure of a LDH manifold which seriously injured an 18-year old volunteer firefighter.
Read the Report
Volunteer Firefighter Injured by Pieces of LDH Appliance
On Monday, July 27, 2009 the Hampton Township, Sussex County Fire Rescue (HTFR) was conducting a training drill on the campus of the Sussex County Community College. The drill involved shuttling water drafted from a pond on campus, pumped into fire department water tenders and then transported to the other side of the pond. At the end point of the water shuttle, the contents of the tenders was dumped into above ground portable tanks where it would have been utilized to fight an actual fire had there been one at that location.
At the campus the water was being drafted out of the pond by a fire engine and then pumped through a five-inch hose connected to a manifold. The manifold was used to convert the one five-inch hose that was feeding it into a maximum of four 2 1/2-inch hose discharges. During the drill the manifold was feeding into only two 2 1/2-inch hoses attached to the manifold. Each of these hoselines were used to fill water tenders. When a tender was full of water, the valves on the manifold would be closed, the hoses disconnected from the full water tender and then connected to the next tender for filling.
After two filling cycles, the firefighter was instructed to close the valves on the manifold as the third tender being filled was full. The firefighter leaned over the manifold and began
closing the valves simultaneously. With the valves approximately halfway closed, the firefighter stated hearing a loud sound and just after that the manifold ruptured.
The manifold roughly split in two with the top piece coming up and striking the firefighter between the upper thighs and lower abdomen. The force of the object lifted her off the ground, kncoking off her boots and helmet. She was knocked unconscious for a short time and was treated by EMTs who were on the scene. The firefighter was ultimately transported by the state police NorthStar helicopter to Morristown Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The firefighter suffered severe bruising and head lacerations as a result of the impact from the manifold and required extensive physical therapy. Fortunately she suffered no internal injuries. She remains an active member of the department.
The report identifies three factors as well as various lessons learned. Among these are:
- Better manufacturing to improve the durability of LDH manifolds;
- Proper fire department testing and maintenance of LDH manifolds according to manufacturer and NFPA recommendations;
- Reinforce appropriate use of PPE and safe operations around pressurized devices.
