Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313514788 - Ferrellgas Lp - Fontana Service Unit

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:00 a.m., on September 20, 2011, Employee #1, a propane delivery driver, became seriously injured while refueling propane cylinders at a client site. Employee #1 pulled in between the full racks of cylinders. He extended his fuel hose and began to fill cylinders. Employee #1 was using truck D810, the hose of which was outfitted with a quick-release valve, which shortens the time it takes for an employee to take the nozzle off of the fill valve. Employee #1 stated that when he completed filling either the third, fourth, or fifth cylinder at the site, he followed the employer's disconnect procedure and went to disconnect the nozzle from the fill valve. Employee #1 stated that the nozzle jumped off of the cylinder and that propane was escaping from the nozzle and caught on fire instantly. The pressure of the fuel on the hose caused Employee #1 to lose control of the hose, which turned and sprayed fire onto his face. At this time he was able to hit the off button on his ESO (Emergency Shut-Off) remote, and threw the hose on the ground once it was slack enough. Employee #1 stated that there must have still been fire coming from the hose, since he collapsed and landed in front of the nozzle, which burned his legs. Employee #1 was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, CA where he was hospitalized for treatment.

Keywords: BURN, FIRE, GAS, HOSE, PROPANE, LEG