An accident occurred when an as-yet unidentified source ignited the ethyl acetate solvent being loaded into a 330 gallon square tank, called a tote. The operator who was filling the tote had turned away momentarily when he heard what was described as a popping sound, which witnesses believe was a pressure relief device. A fireball then erupted from the tote. Pressure from the eruption knocked the filling nozzle out of the tank, spraying ethyl acetate into the room and onto the operator. His clothing ignited, but he quickly removed the ignited clothing and escaped serious injury. Another operator tried to use a hand held extinguisher to battle the blaze, but it emptied before the fire could be extinguished. He then shut off all power to the area and the plant was successfully evacuated. The flames spread quickly and eventually consumed and destroyed a large portion of the facility. CSB will conduct tests to determine if the solvent could have produced enough static electricity to be the ignition source. They will also evaluate the design and maintenance of equipment in the area to determine its suitability for use in a flammable environment.
Click Here for the entire release from CSB.