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Explosion at a Water Treatment Facility (1080)

This incident occurred when subcontractor two workers were widening air vents on the roof of a building hosting a tank containing hydrogen chloride solution. This intervention was necessary to to improve hydrogen venting from the tank storage area. The hydrogen gas was a by-product of the chlorine-making process. The two workers were operating an angle grinder, producing sparks which ignited the flammable atmosphere which evidently containing hydrogen. An explosion followed, with one casualty and one injured worker.

Explosion on a Hydrogen Production Unit (1079)

At approximately 8:45 a.m. an employee was troubleshooting a thermal chamber, evaluating a Hydrogen on Demand (HOD) unit. The chamber was reported inoperative that morning. Two units were being tested on a work bench and they were connected by an exhaust hose to an HOD inside the test chamber. The gas was not properly exhausted and began to back up into the hose that was attached to the HOD. The employee removed the side panel on the chamber and it exploded while he were standing in front of it. He was killed by the explosion.

Fire on a Hydrogen Gasholder (1078)

[NOTE: One source speak of a hydrogen gasometer, spanish news speak in general of gas, others of ntural gas or coal gas; considering the main product of the factory, it was chosen for this last version, but is is rather doubtful]This incident occurred at a coal gas storage (gasometer) system of a producer of foundry coke. The gasholder was a variable capacity tank, rising in height depending on the amount of gas stored, with a maximum capacity of 24,000 m3.Company sources said that the fire was caused as a result of a spark and a gas leak that was being repaired by the operators.

Explosion in a Chlorine Production Plant (1075)

A lightning strike caused a voltage drop on the power supply of a chlorine-alkali plant using the mercury process.The emergency electrical system was activated, though restoring the external supply voltage in less than 200 ms rendered the entire system inconsistent; some units were operating normally, but all units connected to the emergency devices (including the mercury pump) remained idle. An explosive mix of 500 kg of chlorine and an unknown amount of hydrogen accumulated inside the low-pressure chlorine treatment circuit.

Natural Hydrogen Fire (1074)

In 1987, well diggers had drilled a well for water, but had given up on one dry borehole at a depth of 108 meters. According to the source reported in the References, wind was coming out of the hole. When one driller peered into the hole while smoking a cigarette, the so-called wind exploded in his face. A huge fire followed, without smoke, looking bluish at daytime and colour and goldish at night. The crew needed weeks before being able to stop the fire and cap the well. The well remained capped until 2007, when well gas was analysed and revealed to consist in hydrogen with a purity of 98%.

Hydrogen Leak and Fire in Compressor Area of Continuous Reforming Unit (1073)

A hydrogen leakage caught fire in the hydrogen compressor area of the continuous reforming unit. The reforming unit and the hydrocracking unit were immediately stopped. The hydrogen flow was cut off, a protective combustion was carried out and the fire was completely extinguished after approximately 20 minutes, with no casualties. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Fire on a Hydrogen Bus During Refueling (1072)

The fire developed an early morning on a hydrogen bus at a refuelling station for public transport. The fire Department was called to site responding to reports of a fire on the property. A section of the highway was closed as firefighters.According to the bus company release, one bus was destroyed and the dispenser of the hydrogen fuelling station was damaged. The stationary hydrogen storage and the rest of the Explosions were heard and seen from the tanks on the bus that had just been filled.

Fire on a Hydrogen Compressor of Refinery (1070)

The broke out at a hydrogen compressor of the reforming unit of the refinery. Following the safety procedures, the emergency stop of the unit was activated and the unit was decompressed using a safety flare. The emergency plan was kept for an hour. A security perimeter is in place. The isolation of the compressor was started automatically. The isolation of the discharge circuit was successful, but the suction circuit could only be partially closed due to a block of a valve. The operators then closed manually the suction valve, by removing the excess of grease that had been applied to it.

Fire in the Electrical Transformer of a Metallurgical Plant (1068)

A fire broke out on a transformer transforming 225,000 V into 15,000 V in a metallurgical plant. This transformer supplies electrical power the site and to a neighbouring factory. In the following three hours, staff brought the fire under control with CO2 extinguishers, the internal emergency plan was activated, and the firefighters ventilated the premises and took readings of the flames using a thermal camera. Meanwhile, however, the shutdown of the electrical installation caused the stop of the operation of an electrolysis unit using zinc sulphate.
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