Inspection Detail

Inspection: 103475588 - Milprint, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Milwaukee Area Office

Investigation Summary

AN EMPLOYEE WAS USING AN AIR DRIVEN PUMP TO TRANSFER A 50/50-MIXTURE OF N-PROPYL ACETATE AND VM&P NAPHTHA FROM A 55-GALLON DRUM INTO AN OPEN 2-GALLON PLASTIC PAIL. THE TWO HOSES FROM THE PUMP WERE NON-CONDUCTIVE, AND EACH HAD A METAL NIPPLE ON ITS END. THE PUMP WAS GROUNDED, AND SO WAS THE BARREL. HOWEVER, NEITHER NIPPLE WAS SEPARATELY GROUNDED; THEREFORE, SINCE NON-CONDUCTIVE HOSES WERE USED, THE TRANSFER SYSTEM WAS NOT BONDED THROUGHOUT. THE PLASTIC PAIL WAS SITTING ON TOP OF THE BARREL; AND ONE HOSE WAS PLACED IN THE BARREL, AND THE OTHER IN THE PAIL. THE EMPLOYEE HAD PERFORMED THIS OPERATION "HUNDREDS OF TIMES" WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT THIS TIME A DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY IGNITED THE FLAMMABLE VAPORS ABOVE THE OPEN PAIL. THE EMPLOYEE, WHO HAD SEEN THE LIQUID IN THE PAIL BURNING, WENT TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER THAT WAS LOCATED LESS THAN 25 FEET AWAY. THE BARREL OF SOLVENT THEN EXPLODED, SPILLING BURNING LIQUID OVER A WIDE AREA. THE AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM FOR THE AREA AND THE CARBON DIOXIDE SYSTEM FOR A NEARBY PRESS ACTIVATED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES BEFORE IT COULD SPREAD TO OTHER BARRELS IN THE AREA. (THE OTHER BARRELS CONTAINED ETHYL ALCOHOL, ISOPROPYL ACETATE, AND OTHER SOLVENTS.) THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED MINOR BURNS AND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR HIS INJURIES. NINE OTHER EMPLOYEES IN THE AREA WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR SMOKE INHALATION.

Keywords: BURN, STATIC ELECTRICITY, ELECTRICAL, FLAMMABLE VAPORS, E GI VII, FIRE, NAPHTHA, EXPLOSION, BONDING, SMOKE INHALATION