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October 22, 2010

A missing word causes an accident!

Mr Yigal Riezel, Process Safety Management Consultant mentions about an explosion in a gas oil tank that was attributed to the use of nylon rope for taking a sample of tank contents.The operator lowered a nylon rope attached to the sampling device through the sampling hatch on top of the tank. This caused a static electricity spark. After the explosion, in which the operator was killed, the investigation determined that the special precautions mentioned in the tank sampling procedure of tank sampling included the following remark: “In order to reduce the potential for static charge, nylon or polyester rope, cords or clothing should be used”. The committee immediately sent the finding to the originators of the standard and got a fast reaction apologizing for a typing mistake by missing the word NOT before “be used”.

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