I am going to guess that the facility’s inventory was less than 10,000 pounds of Propylene as OSHA issued no PSM citations, only a HAZCOM training citation and a GDC citation for four (4) issues they found with how the flammable gas was managed. Another incident showing OSHA’s weakness with “flammable gases”; they NEED a flammable gas standard similar to their LPG standard (1910.110 – Storage and handling of liquefied petroleum gases). This need will ONLY increase as we see an influx of “flammable refrigerants” in industrial settings.
Around 4:20 a.m. on January 24, 2020, Employee #1 had arrived at the worksite to begin work in the coating shop and sent a text message stating that he could smell and hear a propylene gas leak. The supervisor sent out a text to the crew stating “don’t fire up the gun. Gas leak.” A coworker responded “Call 911.” Shortly after, an explosion occurred at or in the coating shop. Employee #1 and Employee #2 were killed in the explosion and fire. Propylene gas, used at the facility in the high-velocity oxygen fuel coating process, was believed to have leaked, accumulating and finding an unknown source of ignition, resulting in the explosion. Two other employees, Employee #3 and Employee #4, were non-fatally injured by debris from the explosion.