At 7:45 p.m. on December 1, 2020, Employee #1, a production lead supervisor, entered the chill/production room. She observed a cloud generating in the immediate area of the freezer tunnel. She investigated the cause of the cloud and was killed by asphyxiation. Approximately one hour later, Employee #2, a production supervisor, entered the chill/production room…....
At 9:00 a.m. on January 31, 2022, an employee who worked as a General Laborer fo r an Industrial Nursery was filling propane cylinders from a bulk propane tank. As the employee was finishing filling a cylinder, he began to remove the filling hose before shutting off the propane. As a result, the gas escaped…...
Hazards of filling your own LPG cylinders Read More »
On May 14, 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a full-scale shell impact test (Test 13) of a DOT-113C120W9 (also identified as DOT-113) specification tank car at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. This test was the final impact test in a planned series of four. A DOT-113 is a double-walled tank…...
Full-scale shell impact test of a dot-113c120w9 tank car filled with liquid nitrogen Read More »
Below is a video of a tragic accident that occurred today in Jordan’s Aqaba shipping port. A 25-Ton ISO Container of Chlorine (Cl2) (like the image to the left) was being lifted off a truck and onto a ship when somehow the container was dropped (too early to know the cause). The video shows the…...
25-Ton Container of Chlorine dropped and catastrophic failure Read More »
On November 25, 2020, an explosion and fire occurred at an industrial facility in Houston BC. The facility utilizes a system incorporating a large natural gas-fired air heater to dry wood fiber material for the purpose of wood pellet production. The facility had recently been experiencing issues with operating conditions with the dryer system. The…...
Houston BC Pellet Dryer Explosion (Technical BC) Read More »
A forklift operator at an industrial site was filling a liquid propane cylinder on the forklift and also heard a hissing sound. The operator then started the forklift and a flash fire explosion occurred at the forklift and propane dispensing system. The facility is an industrial wood processing plant with a propane dispensing system. Propane-fuelled…...
Incorrect set point of LPG hydrostatic relief valve leads to explosion Read More »
On Thursday, July 5th, 1973 at approximately 1:30 pm, two employees of Droxol Propane were in the process of off-loading the contents of the 127 kl (33,500 gal) railroad tank car into two propane storage tanks. When the valves were opened, one of the connections was discovered to be leaking. One of the employees attempted…...
Kingman, AZ BLEVE (7/5/73) Read More »
Back in June of last year (2020), the city of Wenling in China experienced a tragedy that involved a COLD BLEVE of a flammable liquified pressurized gas tanker truck and a subsequent explosion killing 18 people. We have dashcam footage of the COLD BLEVE and it is “textbook” footage of such an event – we…...
“COLD” BLEVE caught on tape Read More »
As you know, I am a huge fan of the FM Global Data Sheets and I still recommend them to all my clients. If your business is too cheap to buy RAGAGEPs, these Data Sheets are by far your next best options as they are FREE. And in some situations, I actually prefer the FM…...
When trying to assure that people will work in a safe environment, it is imperative to understand how a building is intended to be used. The code classification system for buildings is therefore based upon how the building is intended to be used. The safety of building occupants cannot be assured if only the construction…...
Fire Code, Building Code, Mechanical Code and Occupancy Classifications Read More »
We often get asked: Do I neet to install a gas detector in the room? Well, it’s pretty easy in my state, as in most cases we have dealt with, the state fire/HAZMAT code required it. The code includes basic requirements for ALL gas detection systems and covers: construction documents, equipment, power connections, emergency and…...
When is a “gas detection” or “oxygen depletion alarm” system required? Read More »
A few years ago I was asked to participate in a hazard assessment for a manufacturer who wanted to review the procedure for hydrogen-powered vehicles to be freed of hydrogen gas. I got the feeling very early into this hazard assessment that those in the room knew about an event of some type, but wanted…...
Thinking of buying a Hydrogen Powered vehicle? Read More »
