Abstract: At approximately 10:37 a.m. on June 26, 2000, Employees #1 and #2 were using a cutting torch to remove the bolts from a vent on the top of wine tank #407. The 44 ft tall tank contained a sherry-based wine product. The flame of the torch caused the vapors in the tank to explode and both workers sustained numerous injuries, including hip and leg fractures. The employer had directed Employees #1 and #2 to use a torch to remove the vent, but the tank had not been emptied, purged, or flushed, and there had been no testing for the presence of flammable vapors. No hazard information was provided to either worker.