Accident Report Detail
Accident: 509844 - Employee Killed When Gasoline Cargo Tank Explodes
Accident: 509844 -- Report ID: 1032500 -- Event Date: 12/18/1995 | |||||||
Inspection | Open Date | SIC | Establishment Name | ||||
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107243107 | 12/19/1995 | 5171 | Bowen Petroleum, Inc. | ||||
On December 18, 1995, a MC 306 vehicle-mounted cargo tank used to haul gasoline was found to be leaking at the rear bulkhead. To ready the tank for welding repairs, Employee #1, the shop foreman, drained the last few gallons of fuel and ran hot water through the vessel. This did not purge or remove all flammable vapors. As Employee #1 struck an arc on the tank shell with an arc welding machine, the vapors ignited and the tank exploded. Employee #1 was killed when shrapnel and baffles removed part of his head with a puncture wound. The tank was not ventilated and it had not been purged with inert gas. | |||||||
Keywords:
repair, ventilation, flammable vapors, work rules, explosion, purging, decapitated, gasoline, tank, arc welding
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Employee # | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree | Nature | Occupation | |
1 | 107243107 | Fatality | Puncture | Occupation not reported |