Hydrogen Fire in a Alcohols Production Plant
The fire occurred after a hydrogen released from a venting valve opened for inspection. The hydrogen was at 300 bar and 300C centigrade. The hydrogen ignited probably spontaneously and killed 4 workers and injured additional 3. A similar accident seems to have taken place in the same installation 5 years ago. A safety study of the facility has been requested before the start-up of the plant
Event Date
August 14, 1989
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 manual opening of a valve which released hydrogenThe root causes have not been identified even if a general test of the equipment involved in the fire and/or suspected to have caused the accident was carried out.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
venting flange reactor(?)
Storage/Process Medium
Actual Pressure
300
Design Pressure
300
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
The accident occurred during normal operation of a hydrogenation system in an organic chemical industry for the production of raw hydrogenated alcohols from vegetable and animal raw materials. The operating pressure in the hydrogenation system was between 200 and 300 bar.
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
An investigation was performed, which however it is not (anymore) publicly available. Logic recommendations would be to improve the venting system to avoid mass release and fire, and to conduct a detailed analysis of previous similar event which seems to have taken place in the same installation 5 years previously (in 1984).
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The isolation valves were shut-off and the Internal Emergency Plan was activated.No emergency measures were required, neither on-site nor off-site.
Release Type
Release Substance
Hydrogen Release Concentration (%)
100.00
Release Pressure (bar)
300.00
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Flame Type
Source Category
References
References
Event description in European database eMARS
https://emars.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/eMARS/accident/view/16d71de8-dd2d-843…
(accessed September 2020)
Event description in French database ARIA
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/170/
(accessed September 2020)