- Author
-
U. S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
- Title
- Static Spark Ignites Flammable Liquid During Portable Tank Filling Operation. Case Study.
- Coporate
- U. S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
- Report
-
2008-01-I-IA,
September 2008,
8 p.
- Keywords
-
tanks (containers)
|
flammable liquids
|
safety
|
spark ignition
|
storage
|
materials handling
|
explosions
|
solvents
|
chemical plants
|
chemical fire fighting
|
tank fires
|
nozzles
|
ethyl acetate
|
flammability
|
static electricity
|
pipes
|
valves
|
filters
|
hoses
|
NFPA 77
|
NFPA 30
|
fire suppression
|
sprinkler systems
|
regulations
|
standards
|
fire spread
- Identifiers
- incident description; bonding and grounding; top-filling; fire separation; regulatory and good practice guidance; safe handling of static-accumulating flammable liquid
- Abstract
- On October 29, 2007, at about 1 p.m., a fire and series of explosions occurred at the Barton Solvents Des Moines, Iowa, chemical distribution facility. The initial fire started in the packaging area while a 300-gallon portable steel tank, known as a tote, was being filled with ethyl acetate, a flammable solvent. An operator placed the fill nozzle in the fill opening on top of the tote and suspended a steel weight on the nozzle to keep it in place. After opening the valve to begin the filling process, the operator walked across the room to do other work. As the tote was filling, he heard a "popping" sound and turned to see the tote engulfed in flames and the fill nozzle laying on the floor discharging ethyl acetate. Before evacuating, employees tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire with a handheld fire extinguisher. The fire spread rapidly to the wood-framed warehouse, igniting a large volume of flammable and combustible liquids. One employee received minor injuries and one firefighter was treated for a heat-related illness. A large plume of smoke and rocketing barrels and debris triggered an evacuation of the businesses surrounding the facility. The main warehouse structure was destroyed and Barton's business was significantly interrupted. The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is publishing this Case Study to underscore the need for effective bonding and grounding and for fire protection practices that should be observed when handling flammable liquids.