Explosion of a Hydrogen Tank
A tank "filled with low-pressure hydrogen" exploded at a food manufacturing plant, killing three workers. The accident occurred when the workers were welding inside the tank after clearing hydrogen to install a hydrogen measuring device. The tank, seven metres high and two and half metres wide, was destroyed by the explosion. Police investigated the exact cause of the accident and suspected the sparks from the welding work caused the explosion with the remaining hydrogen inside the tank as the employees failed to completely remove the hydrogen before conducting the work.
Event Date
April 22, 2004
Record Quality Indicator
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Cause Comments
Police investigated the exact cause of the accident and suspected the sparks from the welding work caused the explosion with the remaining hydrogen inside the tank as the employees failed to completely remove the hydrogen before conducting the work.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
Low -pressure hydrogen tank
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
The hydrogen tank was reported usually to contain 50 tones of hydrogen, used to make sorbitol, an artificial sweetener. The company produces starch, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn meal, oligosaccharide, and sorbitol.
Number of Fatalities
3
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
The workmen should follow operational procedure to ensure that the tank is completely empty of hydrogen before welding.
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Unknown
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
Original HIAD reporting back in 2006