NASA has formed an investigation board at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to review the circumstances surrounding the injury of a construction worker at Launch Complex 39-A July 19.
The functions of the five-member board include examining the facts surrounding the incident, gathering evidence, determining causes and recommending corrective actions. A final report is expected in about three months.
Chairing the board is Mike Smiles, manager of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
In addition to the five voting members, the board is supported by an ex-officio member and a number of NASA advisers and administrative support staff.
The employee of SDB Engineers and Construction Inc. of Titusville, Fla., was preparing to perform sandblasting work on Launch Pad 39-A when he was struck in the head by a section of pipe that had loosened from a pressurized sandblasting unit. Emergency personnel were called to the site and he was airlifted to a hospital in Melbourne, Fla.
SDB is a subcontractor to United Space Alliance, the NASA contractor for space shuttle operations.
