I’m in Grand Rapids this week working with a client on a flammable liquids process that is under the PSM TQ, but over the Maximum Allowable Quantity for “outside”. The city began adopting the IFC in 2006 and is now using the 2021 edition. I am sharing the PPT file for the management presentation/training, if […]
My SDS list toluene’s lower explosive limit (LEL) as 1.2% by volume, often given as:
As I noted in 2007, the #1 cause of process vessel deflagrations is the manual additions of powders to process vessels which have a flammable atmosphere. NFPA 77 covers this hazard with several solutions, yet many facilities are either not aware of these risks and solutions or simply have their head buried regarding these catastrohic
The definition of “switch loading: Switch loading is the hazardous practice of loading a low-vapor-pressure product (such as diesel or heating oil) into a tank compartment that previously contained a high-vapor-pressure, flammable product (such as gasoline) without first cleaning it. This creates a high risk of static electricity generation and explosion, as residual vapors can
Recently, I had the opportunity to help a client gain the full picture of what has to be done regarding the BULK TRANSFER hoses to unload their HHC/EHS from Tanker Trucks/ISO Containers and Railcars. Now, before we get into the specifics, I know a number of folks will fall back on the compliance position that
An explosion at a large outdoor oil storage tank at Korea National Oil Corporation Pipeline’s Yeongnam branch is preliminarily attributed to static electricity generated during a petroleum component verification process. The incident occurred at a large-scale oil storage facility housing 12 to 14 tanks, raising concerns that it could have escalated into a major disaster.
We see this often, handling, storing, and processing a Class IIIA flammable liquid, and about half will classify the area, and the other half do not. So who is right? Here is my take on the matter as I work thru the risk analysis…
Another video has surfaced, showing what static electricity can do in the presence of flammable vapor. The video below actually catches the static discharging as the vessel does not appear to be grounded. This is another transfer gone bad. Open top container. It does appear the operator has the hose down inside the tank, but
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
FIRST: RIP and Prayers to the truck driver and three (3) citizens who lost their lives in this event. We wish a full and speedy recovery to the 17 that we seriously injured, five (5) of whom have life-threatening injuries. This week, we saw a catastrophic failure of an LPG tanker truck in Chile (see
A fire broke out at a factory on Jan. 8, 2026, severely injuring a worker, 30, who died five days later on Jan. 13, 2026, according to police. The explosion occurred during a chemical mixing operation.
I hope that in today’s workplaces, everyone knows we do NOT “splash fill” flammable liquids. However, this simple fact is often overlooked or unknown when adding a non-flammable solution to a flammable one. Its not the product that matters, it’s the free fall that creates the static within the flammable atmosphere.
