FLT ATTENDANT RPT; B757; MIA-POS; TURB. FLT ATTENDANT THROWN AGAINST AFT GALLEY OVEN EXHAUST VALVE AND RECEIVED SEVERE ARM BURN. PLASTIC SURGERY IS REQUIRED.

Date: 1999-10 · Aircraft: B757-200 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-other-unknown|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

FLT ATTENDANT RPT; B757; MIA-POS; TURB. FLT ATTENDANT THROWN AGAINST AFT GALLEY OVEN EXHAUST VALVE AND RECEIVED SEVERE ARM BURN. PLASTIC SURGERY IS REQUIRED.

Narrative

DURING TURB; I WAS THROWN AGAINST THE OVEN DOOR. MY ARM COVERED THE OVEN EXHAUST VALVE RESULTING IN A BURN. I PLACED ICE OVER MY BLOUSE; BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I FELT PAIN DURING SVC; AND I RETRIEVED THE COOLING GEL FROM FIRST AID KIT. I PLACED SOME OVER MY ARM. I TOOK THE BURN PACKAGE TO MY ROOM AND FLT ATTENDANT #2 HELPED ME TO PLACE IT OVER MY ARM AND COVERED WITH GAUZE. IT WAS VERY RED. NEXT DAY IT WAS FULL OF BLISTERS. I SAW A NURSE AT MIA MEDICAL DEPT. SHE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO SEE A PLASTIC SURGEON. I SAW A PLASTIC SURGEON THE FOLLOWING WEEK. SKIN CAME OFF; BUT I KEPT FLYING. AS OF TODAY; THE WOUND IS HEALING. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF INFECTION AND I FEEL NO PAIN; BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SCARS. I BELIEVE THE EXHAUSTS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED AT A FLT ATTENDANT'S FACE OR ARM LEVEL. THEY SHOULD BE PLACED HIGHER. I NOTICED ON SOME ACFT; OVEN VALVES ARE JUST AT THE LEVEL OF NECK OR FACE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY. OVEN DOORS COULD BE TURNED OVER TO ALLOW VALVES TO BE IN A HIGHER POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE B757 OVENS ARE SIMILAR TO THE B737 OVENS; BUT THAT THE EXHAUST VALVES ARE POINTED HIGHER THAN THE HEAD; UNLIKE THE B757'S; WHICH POINT AT ARM LEVEL. SHE FEELS THAT THE WAY THE VALVE OPENING ON THE B757 AFT GALLEY OVEN DOORS IS POSITIONED; IT COULD EASILY BE RESOLVED BY TURNING THE OVEN DOORS AROUND AND MOVING THE HINGES TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE; THUS POINTING THE DIRECTION OF THE STEAM RELEASE VALVE UPWARD. SHE SAYS THE STEAM IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE; AND AT LEAST 10-15 FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY BURNED BY IT. SHE HAS TRIED TO GET THE COMPANY INTERESTED IN REPOSITIONING THE DOORS; BUT IT HAS FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. SHE WOULD LIKE TO GET HER POINT ACROSS TO THE INDUSTRY; AND BELIEVES THAT THE COST FACTOR WOULD BE MINIMAL.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.