Contributing to the severity and duration of the fire was the lack of storage tank fail-safe control valves and internal fire valves and the location of the control building in the containment area where fuel leaks are likely to occur. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the fire at the…...
Did we learn from the Stapleton Air Port Tank Farm Fire (1990) Read More »
A video I posted over two years ago has come full circle. A citizen (some may call him homeless) was allowed to sit (and smoke) within 20′ of a gasoline tanker unloading operation at a gas station. His actions may not have been his sole demise, as we can see in the video evidence that…...
Failing to control flammable vapor results in severe injuries for by-stander (video) Read More »
A fuel tanker was filling the station’s gas reserves when two vehicles began fueling at the pumps. According to security camera footage, not long after, one of the pumps suddenly bursts into flames as a result of built-up static electricity…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member?...
Gasoline fueling leads to a flash fire; caused by static? Read More »
Common root causes of incidents are: (in no specific order)… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
This is another Top 10 question on flammable liquids safety I get from clients, cold calls, referrals, and friends. Most are familiar with the testing limits for path to ground on bonding/grounding stations of 10/25 ohms. In my previous post tonight I explained where these 10 and 25 ohm limits came from and how they…...
Theoretically, a resistance to ground of 1,000,000 ohms is considered capable of dissipating a static electrical charge. So why then does my safety program (and NFPA 77) require a resistance to ground of 10 or 25 ohms OR LESS, depending on the metal used in my system? (e.g. end-to-end resistance of a bonding wire should…...
If 1 meg-ohm is adequate resistance to ground, then why do we test to 10 or 25 ohms? Read More »
On January 7, 1983, at approximately 12:15 am EST, a massive explosion, ignited by an overflowing gasoline storage tank at the Texaco storage facility in Newark, NJ, and a nearby incinerator, destroyed three tanks, killing one person and injuring 24, while the blast was felt up to 100 miles away. Cause:The explosion was said to…...
1983 Newark 1.8 Million Gasoline Storage Tank Explosion Read More »
Providence Fire Department Field Notes Date: 26Dec2024 Time: 15:04 Address: 130 Terminal Rd Incident No.: 2024-45273 Investigator: Eric Pedro SUMMARY OVERVIEW… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Biofuel Tank Fire (12/2024; damaged heating coil) Read More »
Gasoline (UN1203) is a NON-conductive flammable liquid. These liquids, as all liquids, generate static electricity as they flow through hoses, piping, and free fall into tanks and containers. Since the liquid is non-conductive, it can not conduct the static charge to the hose/pipe/container so the charge can be dissipated to the “ground”. Authorities say quick…...
Static electricity from flowing gasoline? Read More »
Another incident where the lack of respect for static electricity and flammable atmospheres results in severe injuries. A Teflon bristle brush generates a lot of static electricity; coupled with the low flashpoint of Naptha (73F) and we have a serious hazard. At 5:30 a.m. on February 24, 2020, an employee, 42, was scrubbing interior surfaces…...
FACT: Most flammable liquid vapors have a Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) of less than 1 millijoule (mJ). Most of us do not even feel static which is less than 15 mJ. So the amount of energy necessary to ignite most flammable vapor atmospheres is not even observable by humans. At 6:15 p.m. on October 30,…...
Switch Loading + Static Electricity = Fatal Burns Read More »
At 2:45 p.m. on May 31, 2024, Employee #1, 39, was performing welding work on a diesel fuel tank. During the welding process, an explosion occurred, resulting in the employee’s fatal injuries. The explosion was caused by overpressure inside the tank, which caused metal parts to be ejected. Emergency services responded to the scene, but…...
Welding on Diesel Tank results in fatality Read More »
