Explosion During Hydrogen Transfer Between a Track and a Stationary Storage
An explosion occurred on a tank truck whilst unloading hydrogen into a storage tank. The explosion occurred near the discharge valve of the truck injuring two people and starting a fire at the point where the hydrogen was leaking from the damaged valve.The fire was too big for the fire brigade to keep it under control. The fire could be extinguish only by approaching the site and manually closing another valve. Both the stationary tank and the tank on the truck were not affected by the fire.
Event Date
March 30, 1983
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
The immediate cause was the failure of a valve causing the release of probably gaseous hydrogen.The root cause is unknown.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Unknown
Operational Condition
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Residents, school children and business people over a 2-square-block area were evacuated duringthe 7-hour emergency. According to the UPI new, the fire brigade was called away because of the danger and were powerless to stop the leak or the fire. upon the arrival of he truck owner, and under his leadership, a 11-man team approached the to the burning truck and succeeded in closing a valve on the truck that transferred the hydrogen into the tanker, suffocating the fire. The tanker was moved then a distance of about 50 feet from the storage tank.
Emergency Evaluation
Firefighters called the job 'extremely dangerous.'
Release Type
Release Substance
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
United press International (UPI) news of 30 March 1983
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/03/30/A-tanker-truck-loaded-with-liqu…
(accessed August 2020)