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 We Remember... James Elrod 
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James
Elrod
University of Georgia employee James Elrod was fatally injured
on August 9, 2004 while testing new steam lines on South Campus.
James was a Physical Plant employee working in a trench in
the area between the Snelling Dining Hall and the School of
Pharmacy when a pipe exploded during a compressed air test.
The explosion caused internal abdominal injuries. Two other
Physical Plant workers, Mark Bridges and Zack Doster, were
treated and released from St. Mary's Hospital after the accident. James had worked at the university for the past 13 years
and is survived by his wife Brenda, also a UGA employee, and
two children. The UGA Staff Council initiated a monetary collection
among UGA staff and
sent flowers to the Elrod family then made a donation of
$382 to the Playground Fund at Mount Olive Baptist Church.
The university has since changed its procedure for sealing
pipes in light of this accident. The new technique of welding
the ends of steam pipes has been discontinued and now pipes
are sealed as had been done previously by clamping and bolting
the ends. Also pipes will now be tested with water pressure
instead of compressed air.
The last time a fatal accident involving University of Georgia
employees occurred was in the early 1970's when an electrical
accident claimed the lives of two workers. |
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