This blog presents Metropolitan Engineering Consulting & Forensics (MEC&F) claim management and claim investigation analyses of some of the typical claims we handle
THREE GAS EXPLOSIONS DESTROY MANY HOMES IN THREE WEEKS IN ARKANSAS - THREE DEAD AND SCORES INJURED
Explosions of homes everywhere. It seems to be an epidemic of house explosions caused by natural or propane gas leaks. This time it is Arkansas' turn. Three such explosions in a three week period, leaving 3 dead and scores injured. Based on the frequency of these explosions, we are concerned with the safety of the distribution piping for the natural gas and/or the safety aspects of the gas connections to the appliances. Some of these people are old and may not understand the risks that they are exposed to.
2 reported killed in Arkansas house explosion
Posted:
Nov 30, 2014 12:48 PM EST
Updated:
Nov 30, 2014 2:13 PM EST
LAKE CITY, Ark. (AP) - Authorities report two people have been killed in a house explosion in northeastern Arkansas, between Monette and Lake City. The home was located on County Road 507. Craighead
County Sheriff told KAIT-TV that two people died and three were injured
in the Saturday afternoon blast at the home between Lake City and
Monette. Authorities say the two were among two children and three
adults who were taken to area hospitals - but the names and ages of
those killed were not immediately released. Back in Arkansas, investigators are still on the scene of the house
explosion gathering evidence as to what may have caused the third home
explosion in Arkansas this month. Less than three weeks ago, a house exploded in Osceola, Arkansas. Three days later, the second explosion occurred in Mississippi County.
Assistant
Lake City Fire Chief Herb Davis told The Jonesboro Sun that it appears
there was a gas leak in the home and that the explosion occurred while a
gas line was being connected to a propane tank. The cause is still under investigation. ______________________________________________________________________________
TWO HOUSES WERE DESTROYED AND 11 DAMAGED FROM NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION IN OSCEOLA, AR (WMC) -Nov. 12, 2014. 1 PERSON INJURED. Two houses were destroyed and 11 others were damaged when a gas line caused an explosion in Osceola, Arkansas.
An
exclusive look at the damage from Chopper 5 shows houses leveled and
debris everywhere. One person was injured in the explosion. "I
just heard a boom and it knocked everything off the walls," said Antoine
Carnes, who boarded up parts of his damaged home. "At first I thought
it might have been an earthquake." According to the fire chief,
the explosion happened in a house belonging to Debbie Porter, who is the
only person with reported injuries at this time.
"She was burned,
I do know that," Nadine Vaughn, whose mother's house was also damaged
by the explosion. "Her skin was burned so they airlifted her, I believe,
to Memphis." "It's basically like a war zone or something
happened," said Andre Harris, who lives next door. "And I'm just praying
to God that Ms. Debbie, our neighbor, is alright. We're just thankful
that my family is alright."
Harris' house, like Porter's, was destroyed. "The damage done to my walls, you can even see the damage straight out to my neighbor's house," Harris said. While investigators believe the explosion erupted from a utility gas line, they do not know what caused it. "I'm thankful because, like I said, it could have been worse," Harris added. "I thank God that all this can be replaced."
THIRD ARKANSAS NATURAL GAS LEAK KILLS MOTHER, INJURES HER SON
Posted:
Nov 15, 2014 5:18 PM EST
Updated:
Nov 16, 2014 11:21 AM EST
By Jerry Askin
KEISER, AR (WMC) -
A 90-year-old woman is dead and her 62-year-old son is in the hospital after their home explodedon Saturday. If a house explosion in Arkansas sounds familiar to you, it's because this is the second explosion to occur within the last four days. Gladys Willbanks was killed in the blast and her son, Roger Willbanks, suffered severe burns. The Keiser, Arkansas explosion happened before noon, but firefighters worked into the night to extinguish hot spots. Investigators
say they believe cold weather and a gas leak are to blame for
Saturday's explosion. Fire officials say the family attempted to light a
fire inside their home to stay warm, but since gas was in the air, the
home exploded. Roger Willbanks was flown to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis with severe burns. WMC
Action 5 was there as family and friends rushed inside the hospital
Among those was relative Scott Adams, who's still in shock. "It's just a freak accident, a freak accident, everybody is kind of in shock right now," said Adams. Adams says Roger Willbanks is in stable condition. "My
personal opinion, they were two great people, two great people, that I
know, and they were well-respected in the community," said Keiser Police
Chief Ed Guthrie. "They had their heat on, they had a gas leak and they
possibly put flames to where the gas was, and the gas exploded." About
three miles away from Saturday's explosion, a house still sits in ruin.
The Red Cross says the blast, also caused by a gas leak on Wednesday,
leveled two houses and damaged 11 more. That explosion only injured one person. The homeowner was burnt, but is expected to survive.
It is always very sad to see a young man working for a living
in the cold weather to die at a construction site.Please read this safety alert and ensure that
your staff implements the recommendations.
On February 15, 2014, a 26 year old male employee working as a “Swamper”
(driver apprentice) for an oil field trucking company, was fatally injured when
he was backed over by a co-worker operating a gas engine, 1-ton dually, welding
truck. The welding truck was in the process of relocating past winch truck operations
on the well site at the time of the incident.
The company was in preparation for a “rig up stage” at a new well
drill site. Just prior to the incident, the welding truck driver and the winch truck
employees of the same company met and discussed the planned work. All three employees
were aware the welding truck would be required to back up from where it was located,
and drive past the swamper and winch truck driver’s location.
The Swamper was assisting the winch truck driver in the relocation
of mud and water tanks. After the previous meeting, the winch truck driver returned
to his truck, and the Swamper assisted in horizontal rigging of the tank to winch
equipment. The welder returned to his truck to move it.
At the time of the accident the welding truck driver was
operating a truck without benefit of back- up alarm or spotter. As the welding truck
driver backed his vehicle up to the new location, the swamper positioned
himself along the storage tank being winched. The swamper stepped backward into the path of the
welding truck, the welding truck passed completely over the victim.
The decedent died of his injuries at the scene.
Cause and Significant Contributing Factors:
·The welding truck driver arrived on site after
the morning job safety analysis (JSA) and tailgate safety meeting.
·All three workers failed to identify the hazards
present on location.
·There were four different diesel engines running
in the area of the incident, creating significant background noise. The diesel engine
noise and winds diminished the victim’s ability to hear the much quieter
gasoline engine of the welding truck.
·The victim was wearing a hooded sweatshirt under
FRC coveralls, which created limited peripheral vision.
·The victim inadvertently positioned himself in the
path of the welding truck to avoid hazards associated with the winching operation
he was assisting with.
·The victim had his back to the driver; the driver
had his back to the victim.
·The driver of the welding truck could not see directly
to the rear due to truck design, obstructed view created by the welding equipment
and the driver did not ask for a spotter to assist.
·The gas engine welding truck was never equipped with
a back-up alarm.
·The victim did not offer to be a spotter, and
the winch truck driver did not offer to be a spotter.
·The trucking company did have a vehicle inspection
form, but it was used inconsistently.
·The inspection form did not have a vehicle specific
format, or a back-up alarm check.
·The winch truck driver was likely in transition of
view; he was shifting from left side mirror to right side mirror and rear window
view of winch process.
Recommendations:
·Brief all employees on the facts and circumstances
of this fatal incident.
·In accordance with OSHA Construction Standards, properly
equip motor vehicles used in construction environments with audible devices that
may be heard over other sounds when being backed-up.
·Revisit safety programs and JSA information to ensure
they are applicable to OSHA standards necessary for the work to be performed.
·Use a spotter when backing equipment near other personnel
as required.
·Utilize high visibility outer garments.
·Be aware of your surroundings.
·Avoid wearing clothing or hooded garments which
limit your field of view.
·Use of approved FRC helmet liners is preferred, as
they turn with your head.
·Ensure that pre-tour safety meetings are conducted
to discuss the work to be performed, identifying the potential safety hazards and
implementing safe work procedures to control hazards.
·Ensure the safety meeting information is provided
to all employees.
Static
electricity during tank cleaning, lack of fire-retardant clothing to blame in
fatal gas field blast at EOG Resources Site in Wyoming
September 24,
2014.Smoke billows at the scene of a
gas storage tank explosion near La Barge. A maintenance crew was cleaning the
tank when it exploded. One of the people injured in the explosion died at a hospital
in Salt Lake City
The fatal flash fire on September 24, 2014 at a natural
gas processing site in western Wyoming appears to have been caused by static
electricity, according to a preliminary investigation by the Wyoming
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. One man was killed in the incident and three
others were injured.The site, which
included two storage tanks and a well, was being cleaned. The cleaning appears to have created the
static electricity that sparked the fire, said Hayley McKee, an OSHA
spokeswoman.
Some of the four men were not wearing fire-retardant clothing,
she said.The investigation into the
accident is ongoing.Jared Loftiss, 35,
died later that day at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake
City. Two other men remained at the hospital's burn unit Wednesday,
a hospital spokeswoman said. The fourth
individual was treated and released from a Wyoming clinic.
The fire took place on the La Barge Highway about 30 miles
north of Green River and near the Shute Creek Plant. The site is owned by
EOG Resources of Houston. One of the men
injured was an EOG employee. The remaining three, including Loftiss, were
contractors.
K Leonard, an EOG spokeswoman, said two of the people injured were
employees of the company. Two others were contractors.
The man who died was employed by the contract company, she
said.
She called the incident a flash fire and said it took place at
a natural gas production site, including two liquids storage tanks and a well.
An explosion in April shut down a Williams
Companies Inc natural gas-processing plant about 40 miles (65-km)
south of La Barge, in Opal, that churned out about 2 percent of the daily U.S.
gas supply. A nearby town was evacuated.
EOG Resources is among the top independent crude
oil and natural gas producers in the United States.
DUPONT: 23,000
POUNDS OF TOXIC GAS ESCAPED FROM THE LA PORTE, TEXAS PLANT THAT KILLED 4 WORKERS ON 11-15-14
About 23,000 pounds of a flammable, acidic, toxic chemical
escaped in the building where four DuPont workers recently died at a pesticide
plant in La Porte, the company reported Friday. We reported on the deadly incident here:
4 WORKERS INHALE TOXIC
CONCENTRATIONS OF METHYL MERCAPTAN AND DIE AT DUPONT'S LA PORTE TEXAS CHEMICAL
PLANT – UPDATE
That amount of gas could quickly displace the air in an
enclosed space, leading to asphyxiation, which medical examiners identified as
the cause of the workers' deaths. Although the company has not disclosed how
quickly the liquid material escaped and vaporized, it's enough that, if it
happened at once, it could fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
"The displacement of oxygen would be very severe and very
quick," said a former DuPont engineer familiar with the plant and who
spoke on the condition of anonymity, adding "within the time it takes you
to take a couple of breaths ... that's how quick it is, and you have no idea
what's happening to you. Just all of the sudden you're unconscious."
The company was required to submit the report to the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality. Although DuPont disclosed the amount of
gas in a three-paragraph news release, it declined to release the full report.
Commission offices were closed Friday.
The Nov. 15 release of methyl mercaptan, a foul-smelling gas
that, besides its use in pesticide production, is sometimes used to odorize
natural gas, is under investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
While details of the accident are still emerging, a Chronicle
investigation found the pesticide production facility had been plagued with
recurring maintenance problems and that workers lacked quick access to
breathing equipment that would have given them a better chance at survival.
Those killed included Crystle Rae Wise, 53, the first to alert others of a leak; Wade Baker, 60, a longtime supervisor; and brothers Gilbert
and Robert Tisnado, 48 and 39, respectively. Family members and
their attorneys said some of the workers who died were trying to help the
others escape. They and the company have indicated a faulty valve may have been
involved in the release. The gas escaped from pipes and vessels inside the
pesticide unit, DuPont spokesman Aaron Woods said.
That methyl mercaptan leaked and killed workers was a tragic
irony in a plant that was upgraded years ago to curb the hazards of what's
considered a much deadlier chemical: methyl isocyanate, or MIC. It's the
chemical responsible for initially killing more than 2,200 people after
escaping an Indian pesticide plant in 1984, causing lingering injuries and deaths
for thousands more in the world's worst industrial disaster.
Even tiny concentrations of the chemical can be deadly. DuPont engineers won an industry award for
upgrades that allowed the company to produce and consume small batches of MIC,
eliminating the need to store and transport it. Methyl mercaptan, on the other
hand, had always been viewed as a "pussycat chemical" by comparison,
the former engineer said.
The La Porte plant routinely contained tens of thousands of
pounds of the mercaptan, according to government documents. Outdoors, it poses
the least threat. County officials monitoring air around La Porte after the
release detected none of the gas, although residents could smell it because the
human nose detects it at levels so small instruments cannot. Woods said the gas
that built up inside the pesticide building dissipated over time as it escaped
through openings in the structure. Once released to air, it rapidly degrades,
he said.
THE ROLLOVER RISKS OF
TANKERS: Gas tanker TRUCK explosion critically injures driver in
Spanish Fork, UTAH
Few weeks ago we reported on the rollover risks of tanker
trucks that carry several thousand gallons of fuel or other hazardous material. Since that time, there have been several
tanker truck rollovers across the States, releasing thousands of gallons of hazardous
chemicals to the environment. Here is the link to that blog.
THE ROLLOVER RISKS OF TWO-TANK
TANKERS ARE TOO GREAT TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW THEM CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES
The forces generated by the sloshing of bulk liquid carried in
tanker trucks can cause accidents. The
roll-over tendency of a vehicle can be measured in terms of how many
"g" (gravitational acceleration) that vehicle can withstand in
cornering. The higher this value, the
safer the vehicle. For example, full
size passenger cars can withstand around 1.2 g. For a loaded semi-truck the number is 0.4, and
for half empty tanker truck it can be as bad as 0.15. Tanker trucks are used for supplying soldiers
with water and fuel. The trucks
sometimes need to operate on rough terrain at relatively high speeds. This exposes the truck to a roll-over risk. If
the tanker is partially empty, the risk of roll-over becomes much higher.
The fluid slosh can definitely throw you around if you're not
expecting it. You have to be smooth with your inputs. If the driver was being
stupid/distracted/whatever he could have easily steered/braked too quickly and
caused the slosh to tip him over.
SPANISH FORK, Utah — A semi-truck carrying thousands of
gallons of fuel exploded along I-15 Friday.
Posted 2:44 pm, November 28, 2014, by Caroline Connolly, Updated at 06:16pm, November 29, 2014
It happened just after 2:00 p.m., as the truck turned onto the
off-ramp to Spanish Fork.
“It was just kind of like a big boom sound. No shrapnel or
anything, just boom and then a big plume of smoke,” said Frederick Haywood, who
was traveling in another semi-truck behind the accident.
According to Utah Highway Patrol, the driver of the truck lost
control as he came around a turn on the ramp and slid off the road, eventually
flipping over.
Police believe he was carrying approximately 8,500 gallons of
gasoline on board. When the vehicle tipped, much of the fuel poured onto the
road and sparked a fire. Before the flames could spread considerably,
bystanders who were stopped in their cars ran over to pull the truck’s driver
out.
“He did have very serious burns over a large percentage of his
body,” said Sgt. Brett Christensen of Utah Highway Patrol.
Police identified the driver as Leslie Shelton, 28, of
Colorado. He was taken by medical helicopter to University of Utah Hospital,
where he remained in critical condition Friday night.
According to Christensen, the company Shelton works for is also
from Colorado.
“We are still investigating what caused this,” Christensen
said, “We don’t want to speculate.”
An environmental cleanup crew was scheduled to clear the
remaining fuel from the road.
Throughout most of the evening, traffic was diverted past the
ramp, towards the Benjamin exit a few miles away. Authorities were eventually
able to open one lane, but continued to monitor the vapor levels of the gas.
USA, ME, PORTER, NOVEMBER 13 2014. PORTER ROAD REMAINS
CLOSED AFTER GAS TANKER TOPPLES >> UP TO 2,500 GALLONS OF GASOLINE
SPILLED
PORTER, Maine —Route 25 in Porter reopened Thursday morning
after a tanker truck filled with gasoline rolled over Wednesday night.
While the road has reopened, the cleanup could take most of the
day.
No one was injured in the crash, which was reported at 6:08
p.m. Wednesday, Deputy Michael Halacy of the Oxford County Sheriff's Office
said.
Halacy estimated the ditch the tanker rolled into was within
100 yards of a river. He noticed
gasoline fumes when he first arrived at the crash scene.
Officials estimate 2,500 gallons of gasoline spilled. The
tanker was carrying 10,000 gallons.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection said the
gasoline did not pose a threat to the river, but asked neighbors to remain
indoors.
"The major issue is explosive vapors, because the
gasoline's been released into the ground so we have explosive vapors in that
area so we have to be very cautious that we don't produce a spark to start a
fire or explosion," said Stephen Flannery of Maine DEP.
The 2014 Freightliner had hit a sharp drop-off edge of pavement
before going into the ditch on its right side, Halacy said.
The crash occurred about a quarter of mile from Oxford-York
County border and within a couple hundred yards of Colcord Pond Road.
Watch the Video Porter Road Remains Closed after Gas Tanker
Topples
WMTW News 8's Courtney Sturgeon reports on the cleanup of up to
2,500 gallons of gasoline in Porter after an Irving oil truck tipped over into
a ditch. No one was hurt in the crash,
but a section of Route 25 will remain closed as the gasoline is moved to
another tanker.
Crews remove 40,000 pounds of chicken from an overturned
18-wheeler that shut down Interstate 20 for several hours near U.S. 377 in
Benbrook Thursday morning. (Nov. 27, 2014)
Thursday, Nov 27, 2014 • Updated at 8:34 AM CST
Interstate 20 was shut down in both directions in Benbrook for
several hours after an 18-wheeler overturned Thursday morning.
Police said they are investigating what caused the 18-wheeler
to fall on its side on westbound I-20 near U.S. 377 just before 4 a.m.
At about 6 a.m., Hazmat crews finished cleaning nearly 100
gallons of diesel fuel that spilled onto the freeway in the wreck, according to
police.
Officials said they had to offload 40,000 pounds of chicken the
truck was carrying to California, which delayed cleaning of the road.
As of 8 a.m., the truck had not been cleared from the road, but
police reopened the freeway.
USA, OK, MEDICINE PARK, NOVEMBER 14 2014. TANKER HAULING
SULPHURIC ACID STUCK IN MEDICINE PARK
A tanker carrying 45,000 pounds of sulfuric acid is currently
stuck on Big Rock Road near State Highway 58 in Medicine Park. The Medicine
Park Police Chief says the driver was headed to the water treatment plant
around noon when he took Highway 58 to Big Rock Road instead of going down
State Highway 49. If you've ever driven through the area, you know there's a
steep grade with a lot of sharp turns. At some point, the back end of the
tanker went off the road and became stuck. The Medicine Park Fire Department
and police, along with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Comanche County
Sheriff's Department, responded. They closed off the road that leads to the Big
Rock Estates for safety reasons. The police chief says they are waiting on an
empty tanker from Texas to arrive and transfer the acid so they can safely
remove the stuck tanker from the road. He also says the company is flying out a
safety specialist to monitor the transfer. They expect to begin transferring
the acid Friday morning when they have daylight to work in. The road will
remain closed until at least noon Friday.
Tractor Trailer Rolls
Over at Thruway Exit, Causing Delays
By: TWC News Staff
Updated 11/29/2014 06:54 PM
SCHODACK, N.Y. -- A tractor trailer going too fast around a
ramp at Exit B1 of the Thruway caused traffic delays throughout the day
Saturday.
According to state police, the truck, which was carrying 11,000
gallons of gasoline, was heading east toward Massachusetts when it flipped
around 9 a.m. Saturday.
Police said an unknown amount of gasoline spilled from the
trailer, so HazMat and fire teams were called in.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries
described as not life-threatening.
The highway was cleared up by 6 p.m. Saturday.
Tractor Trailer Rolls Over at Thruway Exit, Causing Delays
SCHODACK, N.Y. -- A tractor trailer
going too fast around a ramp at Exit B1 of the Thruway caused traffic
delays throughout the day Saturday.
According to state police, the
truck, which was carrying 11,000 gallons of gasoline, was heading east
toward Massachusetts when it flipped around 9 a.m. Saturday.
Police said an unknown amount of gasoline spilled from the trailer, so HazMat and fire teams were called in.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.
The highway was cleared up by 6 p.m. Saturday.
- See more at:
http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/789037/tractor-trailer-rolls-over-at-thruway-exit--causing-delays/#sthash.283tvdka.dpuf
LANDOVER, Md. (WUSA9) -- Eastbound Route 50 in Landover was
shut down for almost twelve hours on Sunday after a tanker truck crash, fire
officials said.
The tanker ran off the road and into a ditch near Route 202
around 5:50 a.m. fire officials said. The driver was taken to a trauma center,
officials said.
Hazmat officials spent hours cleaning up 22 hundred gallons of
fuel that spilled onto the road during the incident. The road reopened just
after 5 p.m.
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE)-- Emergency and hazmat crews were called Thursday evening to the scene of an overturned tanker near downtown Wichita. It happened around 6:15 p.m. in the area of Water
and Indianapolis streets, near Kellogg and Main. Crews arrived to find
the semi truck still upright, but the tanker it was hauling had rolled
onto its side. Witnesses say the driver was trying to make a U-turn when the accident occurred. The tanker was carrying approximately 5,000
gallons of an oil additive that is of low toxicity and didn't pose a
danger to the public, said Acting Battalion Chief Chad Winton. None of the substance spilled, and no injuries were reported. Traffic was expected to be shut down in the area for a while as crews work to clear the scene.
3:30 A.M. - All lanes of I-90 eastbound at West 44th
Street and the left 3 lanes on I-90 westbound at West 44th Street are
currently closed after a tanker truck flips over spilling diesel fuel
onto the roadway. Police said, it happened around 2:30 a.m. Friday morning. HAZMAT crews have been called to the scene. According
to ODOT, The highway is expected to remain closed through rush hour
traffic this morning. Drivers are being asked to use SR2 and I-480 as
alternate routes. Crews are able to detour motorists off at W 44th
street and back into I-90 eastbound at West 44th street, however this
will quickly back up traffic on I-90 eastbound if motorists do not
choose alternate routes. The driver of the Semi was treated at the scene and suffered no serious injuries.
Tractor Trailer Rolls Over at Thruway Exit, Causing Delays
SCHODACK, N.Y. -- A tractor trailer
going too fast around a ramp at Exit B1 of the Thruway caused traffic
delays throughout the day Saturday.
According to state police, the
truck, which was carrying 11,000 gallons of gasoline, was heading east
toward Massachusetts when it flipped around 9 a.m. Saturday.
Police said an unknown amount of gasoline spilled from the trailer, so HazMat and fire teams were called in.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.
The highway was cleared up by 6 p.m. Saturday.
- See more at:
http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/789037/tractor-trailer-rolls-over-at-thruway-exit--causing-delays/#sthash.283tvdka.dpuf
