This safety alert is issued following an incident involving two explosions of ammonia gas cylinders at an ammonia gas filling and bottling plant. The plant has been operating for more than 20 years. The ammonia stock from the suppliers will be stored first in the bulk storage tanks with a capacity of 500 and 900 tons waiting to be transferred or filled into the ammonia gas cylinders. The capacities of these cylinders are 60kg, 68kg, and 500kg. Most of these cylinders were older than 20 years.
On the day of the incident at about 5:45 pm, a gas cylinder filled with ammonia and stored in the horizontal position on the ground in two rows suddenly exploded. The first explosion caused the stored cylinders to roll away and scattered about into the surrounding area ( Figure 1 ). Others effects resulting from the explosion were :