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While draining water from a propane storage sphere, an operator deviated from operating procedure by partially opening a lower isolation valve followed by further opening an upper valve. The upper valve handle fell off as a blockage in the line cleared, resulting in a sudden release of propane. Efforts to close valves failed, and a propane vapor cloud ignited and flashed back to the sphere, causing a fire. An hour later, a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) occurred as the sphere ruptured, leading to shrapnel hitting an adjacent sphere's support legs, causing it to collapse and triggering a chain reaction. Multiple spheres collapsed and ruptured, leading to further explosions and fire.
Ask yourself and your crew:
- How can something like this happen here (e.g. on our site)?
- What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
- How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?
- What improvements or changes should we make to the procedures, controls/barriers or the way we work?
Original content courtesy of IChemE Safety Centre
