DERAILED CSX TRAIN IN WEST VIRGINIA HAULED NEWER-MODEL AAR CPC-1232 TANK CARS. THUS, EVEN THE “SAFER” TANK CARS ARE NOT SAFE ENOUGH, AS AT LEAST ONE EXPLODED AND OTHERS ARE STILL BURNING.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

MOUNT CARBON, WEST VIRGINIA:

A CSX Corp (CSX.N) oil train that derailed and erupted in flames in West Virginia on Monday was hauling newer model tank cars, not the older DOT-111 versions widely criticized for being prone to puncture, the firm said.

All of the oil tank cars on the 109-car train were CPC 1232 models, CSX said late Monday. The train, which was carrying North Dakota crude to an oil depot in Yorktown, Virginia, derailed in a small town 33 miles (54 km) southeast of Charleston. 

What is CPC-1232?

CPC stands for Casualty Prevention Circular. The AAR (Association of American Railroads) issued Circular letter CPC-1232 which specifies new rail tank cars standards for transporting crude oil or ethanol. As of October 10, 2011, new tank cars built for transporting crude oil and ethanol comply with these new specifications:

·         Half-Height Head Sheilds

·         Thicker tank and head material

·         Normalized steel

·         Top fitting protection

·         Pressure Relief Device(recloseable type)

Thus, the CPC 1232 is the newer, supposedly tougher version of the DOT-111 cars that were manufactured up until 2011. The DOT-111 cars have been faulted by regulators and operators for a number of years. U.S. and Canadian authorities, under pressure to address a spate of fiery accidents, are seeking to phase out the older models.

On Monday, as many as nine or 10 cars on the CSX train erupted in flames following the derailment, and at least one careened into the nearby Kanawha River. No one was reported seriously injured, but the fire destroyed one house and two nearby towns were evacuated.  The governor’s office released a statement Tuesday saying that 26 tankers had derailed and that “19 of those tankers were involved in the fire.”

The twitter photos show that explosions occurred, presumably of the tank cars.  A tank car can carry up to 30,000 gallons of oil. Billowing flames could still be seen coming from several rail cars late Monday. The cars were being allowed to burn themselves out, probably because people are afraid of any explosions.  

When a tank car catches fire, then the liquid inside will boil.  The expanding vapor then can cause an explosion.  This sometimes is referred to as BLEVE and it stands for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. The huge fireballs seen in the West Virginia derailment and in the Castleton, ND derailment were due to oil tank cars that began to boil causing a BLEVE or a violent explosive fireball.

It was the second significant oil-train incident in three days following a Canadian National Railways (CNR.TO) train from Alberta's oil sands that derailed in a wooded area of northern Ontario on Feb. 14. CN said 29 of 100 cars were involved and seven caught fire. No injuries were reported.

It was also the second derailment in a year along the same CSX line. A similar incident in Lynchburg, Virginia, involved a train that was also headed to Plains All American Pipelines LP's (PAA.N) oil depot in Yorktown, Virginia.

A boom in oil shipments by rail and a spate of derailments across North America have put heightened focus on rail safety. In July 2013, 47 people were killed in the Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic after a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded.

HAZARD ALERT: SEMI DRIVERS KILLED DUE TO REAR-END COLLISIONS

  With so many deadly collisions involving semi trucks, we thought that it would be good to provide this brief refresher on safe driving tips

Case #1: A 50-year-old male truck driver was traveling after dark on an unlit highway, when he unknowingly approached a semi that had slowed to a stop due to road construction.  

With only a few feet to spare, the operator attempted to brake and swerve to the right, but failed to avoid collision on the driver’s side of his truck.  

The truck driver was speaking on his cellular device at the time of the incident, although it is unclear if he was using a Bluetooth or other hands-free device.  

He died at the scene. 

Case #2: A 57-year-old male truck driver was traveling during daylight hours along the interstate, when he approached a truck traveling at 55 mph with its emergency flashers engaged.  

Both trucks were in the right-side lane. At the last second, the operator braked and swerved, attempting to avoid a collision, but struck the slower vehicle.  

The entire driver’s side of the semi truck was completely sheered off.  Despite the fact that the driver was wearing a seatbelt, he was ejected and killed.

What steps can be made to prevent such incidents?

·         Motor carriers should consistently train their drivers on the importance of speed and space management.

·         Maintain awareness of distracted drivers sharing the road.

·         Reduce distractions. Limit hands-free cell phone use to emergencies only.

·         Perform a thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspection to ensure your brakes, turn signals and headlights are in good working order.

·         Buckle up! Safety restraint use can save your life.

HOW YOU CAN PREVENT REAR-END COLLISIONS

Carriers should consistently train their drivers on the importance of speed and space management. Safety training being provided by management plays an integral role in the reduction of rear-end collisions as well as many other injuries. Trainings should focus on factors that influence the minimum amount of space needed, such as weather conditions, speed, total weight of the truck, and traffic.

·         Maintain awareness of distracted drivers sharing the road. The road is a more dangerous place to drive now than it ever has been. One contributing factor is the distracted driving habits of other people that share the road. Many people are unaware of the required stopping distance of a fully loaded semi-truck and may pull directly out in front of you or swerve into your path. Maintain awareness of other vehicles at all times when they are in your vicinity so that you will have proper time to react to their movements.

·         Reduce distractions. Limit hands-free cell phone use to emergencies only . As of January 2012, the Federal Mo-tor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released rulings that ban both texting and using a handheld cell-phone device while driving a commercial truck. Research has shown that the odds of being in a crash are 23.2 times higher for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators who text while driving.(Ref. 1).

·         Perform a thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspection to ensure your brakes, turn indicators and headlights are in good working order. The FMCSA mandates that every commercial driver must complete a pre-trip inspection before the beginning of each work day to ensure good working order of brakes, turn signals, and headlights. (Ref. 2).

·         Buckle up! If all else fails, restraint use can save your life. The FMCSA requires that a seatbelt is used in any CMV that has one installed in the driver’s seat.(Ref. 3)  Wearing a seatbelt should be non-negotiable when occupying a CMV. Research has shown that in a semi truck collision, the odds of being injured are 2.25 times higher for both semi truck drivers and sleeper berth occupants who do not wear occupant safety restraints compared to those who do. (Ref. 4). 

IF YOU MUST GO, THEN TAKE IT SLOW. AS A REMINDER, ROADS CAN STILL BE ICY AND DRIVERS SHOULD BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS, MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLE, AND BE MINDFUL OF OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AROUND THEM.

GREAT RISKS ARE FACED BY FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, EMS WORKERS, AND PUBLIC WORKS/HIGHWAY WORKERS EVERY SINGLE DAY AS THEY OPERATE ON THE ROADWAY.

SLOW DOWN DURING BAD WEATHER AND REDUCE YOUR SPEED AS YOU APPROACH EMERGENCY VEHICLES WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY.

 

 

References:

1.   Hickman, JS., Hanowski, R. (2012) An assessment of commercial motor vehicle driver distraction using naturalistic driving data. Traffic Injury Prevention, 13(6).

2.   “Driver Inspection”, 49 C.F.R. § 396.13 (2011). Web.

3.   “Use of Seat Belts”, C.F.R. § 392.16 (2011). Web.

4.   Bunn, T., Slavova, S., & Robertson, M. (2013). Motor vehicle injuries among semi truck drivers and sleeper berth passen-gers. Journal of Safety Research, (44), 51–55.