So what are we seeing in this video, other than the tragic loss of life?
I can say without knowing the specifics that he was transferring a FLAMMABLE liquid. That flammable liquid was most likely a NON-CONDUCTIVE flammable liquid. Several serious failures in what we are seeing:
1) SPLASH FILLING is a NO-NO in any flammable liquid process, but a serious risk when dealing with NON-CONDUCTIVE flammable liquids, especially in quantities of a 55-gallon drum or more.
2) SPLASH FILLING into a PLASTIC DRUM, which is an INSULATOR to “ground” (i.e., not providing a path for the static to go and allowing it to become an ignition source). NOTE: Even using a grounding connection on the plastic drum is darn near impossible to meet the 10 ohm resistance limit with plastic containers.
3) PENTRATING the solution with an UNGROUNDED CONDUCTOR (i.e., the level probe he continually pulled out and put back into the solution)
4) That transfer should have required Flame-Retardant Clothing (FRC), and yes, I get it that the video makes it obvious this was well beyond FRC saving a life, but this task SCREAMS for a certified PPE Hazard Assessment by a competent person.
Unfortunately, this setup is done daily in the USA and usually without the dire consequences we see in the video. This is a CURSE, as the more times we do it WRONG without negative consequences, the more comfortable we get in doing it WRONG. Then, when someone identifies this hazard, the common response is… “we’ve been doing this for years and….”
Anyone who wants to learn about this topic from a highly reliable source should purchase NFPA 77 and study this excellent standard (or, as we call it in process safety, a “RAGAGEP”).