[Music] Narrator: In 1979, 20 year old
John Capanna was a contract worker performing maintenance at a New Jersey refinery. Capanna: We actually had pulled out of the refinery
and were called back in to do one last job, which was demolish an old pumping station. And we were told that it was a water pumping station. It was not a water line; it was a crude oil line, in fact. We tried to dismantle the pump,
starting with removing the bolts from the flanges. And they were so corroded,
that we couldn't get them loose by conventional means, so we elected to use an acetylene torch at that point. As soon as the flange separated, it exploded. I was burned over 90 percent of my body. Narrator: Thirty years and over 75 surgeries later, Mr. Capanna now assists other burn survivors as they
recover from their wounds, often suffered on the job. Capanna: Don't think that something this tragic
couldn't happen to you or somebody you love. This could happen to anybody. Narrator: John Capanna's life was changed forever
by a hot work accident; welding, cutting, grinding, seemingly a routine operation until suddenly
flammable vapors are ignited by sparks or heat. [Music] Holmstrom: We typically hear about
hot work accidents weekly. It's become one of the most
significant types of incidents that CSB investigates in terms of deaths,
in terms of frequency. Narrator: The Chemical Safety Board
found that since 1990, welding, cutting and other hot work
on or near flammable storage tanks caused fires and explosions
that led to over 60 deaths. In February 2010, the CSB issued a Safety Bulletin, outlining seven key lessons to prevent hot work accidents. The Bulletin followed a tragic explosion that killed
three paper mill workers in Wisconsin in July, 2008, together with ten other serious hot work accidents
investigated or reviewed by the CSB. Holmstrom: The main message of the CSB Safety Bulletin is to conduct an effective hazard evaluation and
perform gas monitoring before conducting hot work. Bresland: Proper use of combustible gas detectors
would prevent many of these accidents and save lives. Narrator: June 5, 2006, a rural oil
production site in central Mississippi, operated by a company called Partridge-Raleigh. All the workers are contractors
employed by Stringer's Oilfield Services, hired to install tanks and piping at the site. They planned to connect a pipe
between two of the site's four tanks. They empty a large storage tank and
then check it for flammable hydrocarbons by a dangerous and unreliable technique;
inserting a lit welding torch into the tank. Seeing no flash, the workers
believe it is safe to weld on the tank. However, crude oil has remained inside one of the
other production tanks, warming under the morning sun. Vapor from this oil flows into an adjacent tank
and escapes through an uncapped pipe, just four feet from where workers plan to weld. Sparks showered down from the welding process,
igniting the flammable vapor. Flames flash back into the storage tank,
causing an explosion, which blows off the tank lid and the ladder
where three of the workers were standing. [Sound of explosion] Narrator: Flames shoot through a pipe into the next tank, causing an even more violent explosion. [Sound of explosion] Narrator: Three workers were killed
and the fourth was severely injured. CSB investigators noted that combustible gas detectors
were not used at any time prior to or during hot work. Partridge-Raleigh had not established
safety requirements for its contractors and the contractor provided no hot
work safety training for its employees. Hot work accidents affect workers not only in the oil
and gas industry, but also across other sectors, such as food production, paper and wastewater treatment. Jones: He was feeding you there.
He was giving you a bottle. And then you were looking at him; what are you doing? Clyde and I were married about
almost two years, together about seven. We share a child. Her name is Aleya Jones and she is now going to
be eight and she was three when he passed away. He was an all-around maintenance man at the Bethune
Water Treatment Plant in the City of Daytona Beach. I just assumed that he had a normal, everyday, you know, 7:00 to 3:30, Monday through Friday job; safe as my job. And I would have never dreamed in a million years
he would have been killed in an explosion. Narrator: January 11, 2006. Clyde Jones is operating a crane
at the Wastewater Treatment Plant while two other workers in a man-lift basket
are removing a steel roof that covers two chemical storage tanks; one empty, the other containing about
3,000 gallons of highly flammable methanol. But no combustible gas testing is required or performed. The workers use an oxyacetylene torch
to cut the roof into sections. Beneath them, methanol vapor vents from the top of
the tank as the morning sun warms the liquid inside. Sparks from the torch shower down onto
the tank, igniting the methanol vapor. [Sound of explosion] Narrator: The fire flashes into a corroded and ineffectively flame arrester
and continues into the tank. [Sound of explosion] Narrator: Flames spread instantly,
igniting the methanol inside. Burning methanol spews out from broken pipes,
engulfing the two workers in the man-lift basket; one survives, one does not. Flames envelop the cab of the crane,
where Clyde Jones is sitting. Jones: When Clyde got to Halifax Medical Center, him and I were able to talk for about
ten minutes before they intubated him. He told me that, that he loved me
and to take care of the girls and he knew he, he knew he was bad;
he just didn't know how bad. And he asked me if I would promise to stay
with him until the end and I told him I would. Narrator: The day after the explosion
at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Clyde Jones, 40 year old husband and father, died. The accidents at Bethune and Partridge-Raleigh
demonstrate the need to monitor the atmosphere for
dangerous levels of flammable vapor, but monitoring must be done properly. Holmstrom: Ineffective monitoring techniques
can be just as dangerous as no monitoring at all. Narrator: July 17, 2001, the Motiva
Enterprises Refinery, Delaware City, Delaware. Several contractors are repairing a
catwalk in a sulfuric acid tank farm. Their task involves cutting near storage Tank 393, which
contains waste sulfuric acid and flammable hydrocarbons. But the tank is severely corroded
and has holes in its roof and shell. At about 7:45 a.m., Motiva operators use a combustible
gas detector to test the atmosphere around Tank 393. No flammable vapor is detected. They never test the atmosphere after that. But as the day goes on,
the temperature rises by 14 degrees, warming the contents of the tank and
producing vapor that escapes through the holes. But workers are unaware of the growing danger. Around 1:30 p.m., a spark from an electric arc cutting
system ignites the vapor, causing a powerful explosion. Narrator: The tank collapses, releasing
264,000 gallons of highly corrosive sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid overwhelms the
containment dyke and wastewater systems. Almost 100,000 gallons reach the Delaware River,
killing fish and other aquatic life. A contract employee who had been
working on the catwalk died in the accident; his body never found.
Eight others were injured. Bresland: Combustible gas detectors
should be routinely used to identify and monitor for flammable atmospheres
before and during hot work. Narrator: More recent accidents
illustrate the same key lesson. Gas monitoring was performed at ConAgra Foods
in Boardman, Oregon on February 16, 2009, but not in the immediate area where welding was planned. Sparks ignited flammable gas from
decaying matter beneath a water clarifier tank, causing an explosion that killed one worker. And three contract workers were
killed at a TEPPCO Fuel Terminal while they used a torch to cut into
the roof of a gasoline storage tank. Gas testing occurred at 7:00 a.m.,
the start of the work shift, but was not repeated when workers returned
from lunch or when they started the hot work. Holmstrom: Continuous monitoring for flammable vapor
could have prevented these tragic accidents, which caused deaths, injuries
and environmental damage. Other good safety practices are also important. Narrator: Whenever possible, avoid hot work or consider
alternative methods, such as cold or hydraulic cutting. Before any hot work, perform a
comprehensive hazard assessment. Personnel may sometimes be unaware of processes
that can release flammable vapors. In 2008, three workers were killed and
one was injured in Tomahawk, Wisconsin at the Packaging Corporation of America, which
manufactures corrugated packaging and container board. Welding sparks ignited flammable hydrogen gas
from an 80-foot tall storage tank. Unknown to plant employees,
microbes were producing the gas from the decomposition of waste fiber inside the tank. Test the area where hot work is planned and
eliminate potential sources of flammables, even in equipment that is not directly involved. For instance, at Partridge-Raleigh, emptying and purging the nearby crude oil tank
would have eliminated the source of flammables. Use written permits specifically identifying the
work to be conducted and the required precautions. At the Bethune Wastewater Plant,
there was no permit system. Provide safety supervision for
outside contractors conducting hot work. Two contract workers were killed
in La Rue, Ohio on October 19, 2008, when an explosion occurred while they were
welding above crude oil storage tanks owned by Marr Oil. The company had no formal program
to select or oversee contractors. And finally, train personnel on the hazards of hot work. Jones: When there's any hot work involved, there needs to be additional training and
safeguards put in place to make sure that the men or women that are doing the job
are competent and well-trained to do the job. Capanna: Use all your resources, you know, get as much
training and as much information about the job at hand. You know, and go into it with your eyes wide open. Bresland: Although the hazards of hot work are well-known, frequent deaths and serious injuries continue to occur. The CBS believes that following the key lessons outlined
here can help prevent future hot work related accidents. [Music]
