Inspection Detail

Inspection: 105279228 - Townsend Oil Co

Inspection Information - Office: Eugene

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was in the process of transferring gas on a fuel truck from the rear tank to the front tank of a bus by pumping fuel by a hose line from a reel attached to the rear of the fuel truck. It was believed that the contents of the rear tank of the fuel truck would fit into the front tank of the bus. Employee #1 then went into the service station to answer a ringing phone and when he returned he noticed gasoline spilling out of the bus tank across the forecourt of the service station. A volunteer firefighter was at the location and seeing the spill, went to the truck, and turned off the pump, and at the same time, Employee #1 was about to shut off the hose reel. In the process of shutting the pump down, it backfired igniting the fuel which engulfed the forecourt. Employee #1's mother then threw the emergency shut off switch for the fuel pumps at the station. Employee #1 and the volunteer firefighter were hospitalized for burns and scalds, and Employee #1 mother suffered non hospitalized burns and scalding.

Keywords: BURN, BUS, EXPLOSION, SPARK, SPILL, FUEL TRUCK, GASOLINE, PUMP, PUMPING STATION