Category: Accidents

Oil Site Safety

Maqbul
Featured Video Play Icon
Accident Description
On April 13, 2010, the CSB released a safety video, entitled “No Place to Hang Out”. The video tells the story of the tragic deaths of 18-year-old Wade White and 16-year-old Devon Byrd, killed on October 31, 2009, when an oil tank, located in a clearing in the woods near the home of one of the boys in the town of Carnes, Mississippi, suddenly exploded. On April 14, 2010, a fiery explosion took the life of a 21-year-old member of the public in Weleetka, Oklahoma, at an unattended oil and gas production site that was unsecured and likely lacked fire or explosion warning signs.

Image

Investigation Status
The CSB released its oil tank study at a news conference in Hattiesburg, MS on October 27, 2011.

RECOMMENDATIONS

American Petroleum Institute (API)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Mississippi State Oil & Gas Board
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Texas Railroad Commission (RRC)

Hoeganaes Corporation Fatal Flash Fires

Maqbul
Featured Video Play Icon
Accident Description
Three combustible dust incidents over a six month period occurred at the Hoeganaes facility in Gallatin, TN, resulting in fatal injuries to five workers. The facility produces powdered iron and is located about twenty miles outside of Nashville.

Image

Investigation Status
The CSB’s investigation was approved by the board on December 16, 2011. The case study was released at a news conference in Nashville, TN, on January 5, 2012.

RECOMMENDATIONS

City of Gallatin, TN
City of Gallatin, TN Fire Department
Hoeganaes Corporation
International Code Council (ICC)
Metal Powders Producers Association (MPPA)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Tennessee Division of Occupational Safety & Health (TOSHA)

E. I. DuPont De Nemours Co. Fatal Hotwork Explosion

Maqbul
Featured Video Play Icon
Accident Description
Two contractors were performing welding atop a 10,000 gallon slurry tank when hot sparks ignited flammable vapors inside the tank, causing an explosion that killed one contractor and seriously injured another.

Image

Investigation Status
The CSB Board Members unanimously approved the final report 3-0 at a public meeting in Buffalo, NY, on April 19, 2012.

RECOMMENDATIONS

E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company

Donaldson Enterprises, Inc. Fatal Fireworks Disassembly Explosion and Fire

Maqbul
Featured Video Play Icon
Accident Description
On April 8, an explosion occurred in a fireworks storage facility near Honolulu, Hawaii. According to media reports, the incident occurred in a bunker used to store confiscated fireworks at Donaldson Enterprises, Inc.

Image

Investigation Status
The CSB’s final report was approved by a 3-0 vote at a public meeting in Washington, DC on January 17, 2013.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
Department of Treasury – Office of Procurement Executive (OPE)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture (TEOF)
VSE Corporation

NDK Crystal Inc. Explosion with Offsite Fatality

Maqbul
Featured Video Play Icon
Accident Description
A large explosion at the NDK America Inc. plant launched debris 300 yards fatally injuring a member of the public. Two individuals were reported to have sustained minor injuries and were treated onsite. The facility is a manufacturer of quartz crystals in Belvidere, Illinois, approximately 60 miles northwest of Chicago.

Image

Investigation Status
The CSB’s investigation report was approved by a 3-0 vote at a public meeting on November 14, 2013, in Rockford, IL.

RECOMMENDATIONS

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal, Boiler & Pressure Vessel Safety Division
National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors
NDK Crystal, Inc.