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 the two workers charged with unloading the tanker FAILED to follow their procedures and PROPERLY VENT the vapors from the underground storage tank BACK to the DOT 406 Tanker.
In the video, we can watch the two “HAZMAT Attendants” open the VENT connection(s) on TWO (2) underground storage tanks. They then install the hose fitting to the tank connection. They then do the same for the Liquid connection. They then connect the liquid hose(s) to the two (2) underground storage tanks; however, they do NOT attach the VAPOR hoses to the tanker.
This set up a bad situation! As the gasoline filled the underground storage tanks, the VAPOR was discharged through the OPEN VENTS at ground level. As we can see, one of the vent fittings was pointed at the “citizen”. We can then see a small flash from where the citizen is sitting; this is him lighting his cigarette, which was the ignition source for the unconfined vapor cloud that had formed in the area.