Fluid power incidents

 Fluid power incidents

Vacuum pump explosion in a lab

 Vacuum pump explosion in a lab

Learn from this incident

Employee #1 and several coworkers were working at a chemical plant that deals with nitric oxide. On the day of the accident, a major leak occurred in a stainless steel distillation column. The nitric oxide leaked into the facilities surrounding vacuum jacket and into the atmosphere through a pump, which controls a high quality vacuum inside the jacket to minimize transmission of heat toward the cryogenic distillation columns. A brown cloud quickly formed and the temperature and the pressure inside the distillation column and its surrounding vacuum jacket began to rise. The leak was detected and the vacuum pump was turned off to halt the leakage of nitric oxide into the atmosphere, allowing the pressure inside the column and vacuum jacket to stabilize around 130 psi. Although stabilized, the pressure was far above the normal pressure of less than or equal to atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi). Approximately 3 hours later, an explosion occurred. The operation and process were destroyed, and debris flew through the plant. Employee #1 suffered lacerations due to flying glass and was treated at a local hospital, where he received stitches and then released. A detailed investigation determined that the cause of the explosion was most likely due to something inside the vacuum jacket initiated the dissociation of nitric oxide, a reaction that is very rapid, exothermic, and self-propagating once started. 

Source:OSHA.gov

Accident due to a change implemented during an emergency

Reactor #1, part of the ABS polymerization process began to overheat as the viscosity increased and threatened to stop agitation. This would cause a runaway reaction and ultimately result in an explosion. A small leak had developed in the lower bushing of the agitator and the employer instructed an employee to tighten it with a wrench. The employer replaced the normal feed (a mixture of styrene monomer, ground rubber, and acrylonitrile) with pure styrene monomer, which has a much lower viscosity, to "flush" the process in the hope that this would stop the leak. The mixture began to spill through the lower agitator packing and at approximately 2:30 p.m., there occurred a major spill of styrene monomer (flammable) and acrylonitrile (flammable and carcinogenic). They evacuated the plant and called for outside assistance to stop the spill and initiate clean-up. 

Source: OSHA.gov

How fragile is your plant?

 How fragile is your plant?

Employee Killed By Inadvertently Drinking Acid Cleaning Fluid

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on October 3, 2002, an employee who worked for a company that provided vehicle maintenance such as car washes, detailing, fueling, and lube and oil servicing, inadvertently drank acid from a plastic spray bottle while he was on a rest break. The employee, feeling very ill after ingesting the contents of the quart bottle, asked his coworkers to transport him to the hospital. He was taken to San Antonio Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:49 a.m. from internal injuries. Laboratory analysis indicated that the acid solution in the plastic bottle contained hydrofluoric acid and phosphoric acid with a pH of less than one. 

Source:osha.gov

Employee dies in explosiove reaction

 At 12:00 p.m. on November 5, 2019, Employee #1 was making a small spot weld on a piece of metal. He was performing the weld on a drum of that contained flammable windshield washer fluid. There was an explosive reaction, and the cover of drum hit the employee's face. Liquid splashed on the employee and was ignited by the explosion. Employee #1's clothes caught on fire. He sustained body burns and was killed. 

Source:osha.gov

Be careful while excavating

 At 8:30 a.m. on August 1, 2020, Employees #1, #2, and #3, employed by a electrical services company in the telecommunications field, were working on a multi-employer construction project at the intersection of two streets. They were potholing to locate underground utility lines, with the aim to then bore in a new fiber optic line under the intersection. After finding what they thought was over-pour from the concrete curb, they used a Ring-o-matic Vacuum Excavator to excavate over top of the concrete. They then used a jackhammer on the concrete. The jackhammer bit made contact with a 12,470-volt underground electrical distribution line, and an electric arc explosion occurred. Employees #1 and #2 were killed by electrocution. Employee #3, who was knocked down by the force of the explosion, was transported to the hospital, where he was observed, determined to have no injuries, and released. 

Source:osha.gov

Employee injured by pressurised gas release

 At approximately 9:00 p.m. on August 8, 2006, Employees #1 and #2 attempted to clean out a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger was part of a natural gas piping system in the power generation facility of a wastewater treatment plant. The heat exchanger contained methane and natural gas, pressurized to approximately 300 pounds per square inch. Approximately 200 parts per million of hydrogen sulfide contaminant was present in the natural gas. The natural gas piping system contained two compressors, labeled Compressor A and Compressor B. The heat exchanger that Employees #1 and #2 were to clean out was connected to Compressor B. Compressor B was off and Compressor A was running. Employees #1 and #2 incorrectly assumed that since compressor B was not running, it had already been isolated from Compressor A by a closed valve. However, the valve between compressor A and B was in the "open" position. Employee #2 began removing a plug on the Compressor B heat exchanger, with a pneumatic impact gun, while Employee #1 was standing directly behind him. When the heat exchanger plug was removed, the pressurized natural gas came out of the 0.5-inch plug opening and blew Employees #2 and #1 back. The natural gas did not ignite. Employee #1 was rendered unconscious from the impact. Employee #2 initiated emergency shutdown of the natural gas system and notified other employees about the emergency. An ambulance was called, but neither employee was hospitalized. 

Source:osha.gov

Employee dies after falling into sulphuric acid tank

 At 12:30 a.m. on February 9, 2019, an employee was reaching into a steel pickling tank containing 160 degree Fahrenheit sulfuric acid in order to retrieve a sample of the solution with a hand held plastic syringe.The employee stepped onto the ledge of Pickle Tank #5, used his right hand to reach into the tank to pull the sample while simultaneously holding on to an adjacent hand railing for stability and balance with his left hand. The employee fell into the tank and was submerged. The employee remained in the tank for approximately 1 minute before being recued. He suffered from chemical and thermal burns that resulted in his death. 

Source: osha.gov

Why checking the line up before admitting chemicals is important

 At 8:00 a.m. on March 13, 2019, an employee was working for a manufacturer of basic organic chemicals. He was opening a valve to permit the flow of hexamethylenediamine (HMD). The valve had been actuated to rinse and purge feed lines. It had been left open by the previous shift. The employee forgot to check valve positions before opening the HMD flow valve. He was sprayed with HMD, and he suffered second-degree burns to his groin. He was hospitalized. 

Source:osha.gov

Two Employees Receive Corrosive Burns From Sanitizing

 At 12:00 p.m. on April 19, 2019, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were observing a food establishment's sanitation and cleaning process during an investigation. During the observations of the employees and processes, they used a foaming cleanser, quaternary ammonium, and a spot acid clear for cleaning and sanitizing. A pungent smell believed to be chlorine was being released into the air. Employees #1 and #2 noted that their eyes, skin, and mucosal linings of the mouth, throat, and nose were irritated and burning. Employee #2 measured the quaternary ammonium solution, and it was found to be in excess of 200 PPM, which is higher than recommended levels. Hospitalization was not required. 

Source:osha.gov

Chloride induced stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel thermowells: Potential for ingress of atmospheric moisture

 https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/thermowell-corrosion.htm

External chloride stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel

 https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/lokring-pipe-connectors.html

CONDENSATE INDUCED WATER HAMMER INCIDENT

 https://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/phenomenon-of-condensate-induced-water-hammer.htm

My presentation on Whats Going Wrong in PSM - 36 years after Bhopal?

 I am giving a presentation in the First Jordanian International Chemical Process Safety Virtual Conference to be held on 30th and 31st March 2021. My topic is "Whats Going wrong with PSM - 36 years after Bhopal?" and is scheduled on 30th March,21 between 1500 to1515 hrs Jordan time (1730 to 1745 hrs IST) The registration to the conference is free and there are very good speakers lined up. 

Register in this link http://www.jeaconf.org/JCPSC/ConferenceFees  Registration is FREE

CONFINED SPACE INCIDENT

 https://www.iadc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Safety-Alert-05-24.pdf

OSHA STANDARD FOR BREATHING AIR

OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.134(i)(1)
“Compressed breathing air shall meet at least the requirements for Grade D breathing air described in ANSI/Compressed Gas Association Commodity Specification for Air, G-7.1-1989, to include:
Oxygen content (v/v) of 19.5% - 23.5%;
Hydrocarbon (condensed) content of 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air or less;
Carbon monoxide (CO) content of 10 parts per million (ppm) or less;
Carbon dioxide (CO2) content of 1,000 ppm or less; and
Lack of noticeable odor”

OSHA'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT INADVERTENT HOOKING UP OF BREATHING AIR INTO NITROGEN SYSTEMS

To help ensure that workers do not inadvertently hook up to inert gas supplies, the following recommendations should be implemented:

•Ensure that all requirements related to respiratory protection as outlined in29 CFR 1910.134 are met. Written standard operating procedures governing the selection and use of respirators must be developed and implemented. Requirements for training and instruction in the proper use of respirators and their limitations must be met at all facilities.

•Ensure (determine) that the couplings of the respirator air lines are incompatible with any other couplings/fittings for non-respirable air or gas delivery systems.Replace couplings on non-breathing air systems with another, incompatible type of coupling.

•Ensure that breathable air systems are not in any way interconnected to non-breathable air systems.

•Develop a maintenance procedure to address supply-line identification (labeling)and painting. Stress the purpose of color coding and the importance of completing detail painting in a timely fashion to ensure that this visual cue is always available to aid workers.

Source: Osha.gov

INCIDENT #3 DUE TO CONNECTING BREATHING AIR HOSE TO NITROGEN

 An employee hooked the fresh air line of his supplied-air respirator into a plant’s compressed airlines and began abrasive blasting. The plant operators, unaware that their plant air was being used as breathing air, shut down the fresh air compressor for routine, scheduled maintenance and pumped nitrogen into the system to maintain pressure and control the valves in the refinery. The employee was overcome by the nitrogen in the airlines and died of nitrogen asphyxia.

Source:Osha.gov