Safety Integrity Teamwork Excellence Date of Injury: July 26, 2012 Head Laceration at the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) NASA Wallops Island IRIS # Classification: OSHA Recordable

Safety Integrity Teamwork Excellence Background While working at the Horizontal Integration Facility at Wallops Island, a NASA LaRC employee struck their head resulting in a laceration. The employee had just finished working beneath a 4-foot high platform. As they were standing to exit the area, the employee hit their head on a valve. The laceration required sutures, making this an OSHA recordable injury.

Safety Integrity Teamwork Excellence Investigation The employee was making modifications to a gas control panel. The task required them to work below an elevated platform. There was no other way to access the work area. The employee completed the task, and was exiting the area. The employee struck their head on a valve, resulting in a laceration. The employee was wearing safety glasses and appropriate work clothing. The employee was not wearing a hard hat.

Safety Integrity Teamwork Excellence Proximate & Root Causes Root Cause The employee momentarily lost situational awareness and stood up before clearing the overhead platform/control panel.

Safety Integrity Teamwork Excellence Lessons to Share Before beginning any job, employees should assess the hazards and ask themselves: – What am I about to do? – How can it hurt me? – How am I going to protect myself? When working in tight spaces, employees should be on the lookout for any hard or sharp edges that could be hit and should consider the use of padding/other materials to prevent contact. Employees should also carefully consider their personal protective equipment options. In this case, a bump cap may have been helpful.