The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents, has just released a video in support of its latest safety campaign outlining the dangers of “hot work.” Hot work accidents occur when workers are welding, grinding or cutting near flammable vapor.
The 11-minute video, “Hot Work: Hidden Hazards,” highlights the explosion at the Tonawanda, NY DuPont plant on Nov. 9, 2010, that occurred when a worker was welding a tank that contained flammable gas. The investigation conducted by the CSB exposed weaknesses on how process hazards were analyzed and controlled at the site.
Although there was no detectable gas in the surrounding environment, no testing was done to measure or monitor the atmosphere inside the tanks where the flammable gas was at dangerous levels. Unfortunately, the workers were cleared to conduct the hot work, resulting in an explosion that killed one worker and seriously burned the foreman. The welding was being conducted atop a 10,000 gallon slurry tank.
During the investigation, the CSB uncovered 11 other accidents, similar to the one at Tonawanda, where hot work was being done on tanks that ignited flammable gas inside. CSB concluded there was not a process in place for adequate testing for the presence of flammable vapor prior to approving hot work.
CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a press release, “I find it tragic that we continue to see lives lost from hot work accidents, which occur all too frequently despite long-known procedures that can prevent them. Facility managers have an obligation to assure the absence of a flammable atmosphere in areas where hot work is to take place.”
“Our hope is that this dramatic depiction
will result in greater emphasis in safety during hot work activities like welding and grinding,” said Moure-Eraso in an interview in Occupational Health & Safety.
If you have been injured in a welding accident due to inadequate safety procedures, you may be eligible for compensation. Talk with a New York personal injury lawyer to understand your rights.
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