Deadly Explosion at Chemical Plant

LOUISVILLE, Ky. –March 24, 2011 Wednesday’s storms weren’t enough to trigger a potential second explosion at a damaged chemical plant.  While fires continued to burn inside the furnace building at Carbide Industries, concern shifted to the weather as rain moved into the area.

Officials said the rain could react violently with the chemicals, and while they didn’t anticipate an explosion, they wanted to make sure everything is OK.  “We’ve mentioned the whole time of this incident that you can’t put water on calcium carbide,” said Lake Dreamland Assistant Fire Chief Jody Meiman.  The Environmental Protection Agency was at the scene and said data coming out of the plant is normal, but they brought in additional monitoring equipment to make sure it was safe for the crews to go inside for their assessment.

“Any unreacted material strewn about inside the building or in the furnace, if it comes into contact with moisture, could liberate acetylene gas,” EPA agent Art Smith said.Smith also said nothing had been detected in off-site tests.”It would really have to be a very hard, driving, sideways rain for it to have been a problem,” plant manager John Gant said.

“It would really have to be a very hard, driving, sideways rain for it to have been a problem,” plant manager John Gant said.Thankfully, after 48 hours of nothing but setbacks, something finally went Carbide’s way.  Officials said fires are still burning on the third level and access is difficult.

“The above was with us on this.   The storms split, they went around us.”

- Jody Meiman, Lake Dreamland Assistant Fire Chief

“The above was with us on this. The storms split, they went around us,” Meiman said.  A light rain fell for about 30 minutes Wednesday afternoon — not nearly enough moisture to trigger another blast. Officials said they breathed a sigh of relief and also resumed a frustrating waiting game, as firefighters let the remaining flames burn themselves out.  “It’s not worth sending firefighters in to save a building that may be torn down,” Meiman said.   “I’m not going to risk injuring or killing a firefighter for something of that nature.  “Yet even as the structure continues to smolder, Gant is already looking forward and looking to reopen.  “Hopefully we can get that furnace repaired and get back in business as soon as possible,” Gant said.Gant also said it will be months before things get back to normal. He said he is not sure when they will reopen parts of the plant.   “If the cover of the furnace is intact and the siding looks pretty good, we don’t anticipate any problem at all with the rain.  As long as we keep water outside the furnace, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Gant said.

Remembering Those Lost

Gant said company has lowered its flag to half-staff in honor of the two workers killed by the explosion.  Twenty-year employee Steve Nichols, 59, died Monday night, and Jorge Medina, 56, died around 1:15 a.m. Tuesday.  Nichols and Medina worked in the furnace department and were only 25 feet away when it exploded.  They received third-degree burns over 90 percent of their bodies.  “We lost two employees, two very good friends.   It’ll be at half-staff for a while,” Gant said.Gant said they working with the families on funeral arrangements and anything they need. Counseling is being offered to workers on a voluntary basis.

Carbide Industries Future

Plant officials estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the facility.  “We’ve got customers that depend on calcium carbide and we’ve got some inventory, and we’re allotting customers as best as possible. But we’re going to run out sooner or later,” Gant said.  All 130 workers at the plant are out of work as the plant is idled.  Gant said the employees would be paid through the end of this week and a determination will be made later on future payments.Gant said they are talking about rebuilding but have to have the furnace for processing at the plant.

Source:  http://www.wlky.com/r/27292875/detail.html

Deadly Gas Explosion Destroys Building In California

The following article is a sad reminder of the dangers when dealing with natural-gas.

By THOMAS WATKINS (AP)

LOS ANGELES — A deadly gas explosion obliterated an industrial building with such violent force Friday that a worker was hurled into the street, car windows were shattered and a survivor had his hair singed in the inferno.

One man died and another was critically injured in the blast that was blamed on a gas line that had been tampered with and rerouted.

Jonathan Apol, 20, a welder at a neighboring business, was putting on his work overalls when the explosion rocked the South Los Angeles street. He ran outside in his boxer shorts and saw the building engulfed in flames.

“It sounded like a plane had crashed in there,” Apol said. “It was like a bang, then two seconds later, two more bangs.”

Fragments of melting asphalt rooftop were sprayed across the street, and smashed floor tiles were hurled at least 50 feet from the metalworking business.

Apol said he saw two dazed men standing in front of the burning building. One was shouting the name of business owner Jaime Lara into the flames.

“He was just shouting his name … but I don’t think (he) responded,” Apol said.

Daniel Ibarra, one of the dazed workers, said he had just taken some trash outside when the blast hit. The 27-year-old appeared in shock as he leaned against a wall with a bruised leg surveying the damage.

“I was very lucky,” said Ibarra, whose thick black hair was singed.

The explosion blew one man across the street with severe burns. Firefighters could find no heartbeat and initially said he had been killed, but he was later revived at a hospital.

Another man died as he tried to move his stake-bed truck away from the building and was jolted by a downed 34,500-volt power line that had fallen on the vehicle, fire Capt. Stephen Ruda said.

Authorities did not immediately release the names of the two men.

The natural gas supply had been disconnected Thursday because the business was behind on its payments, Southern California Gas Co. spokesman Dennis Lord said.

To keep the gas flowing, someone had rerouted a pipe around the meter and a regulator designed to reduce gas pressure to safe levels.

“They were trying to start their business back up,” Lord said.

Elizabeth Alvarado, a secretary at the metalworking business known as J.L. Spray, said it was owned by Jaime Lara.

The firm had four employees and made metal security fences, doors, windows and gates. It was nestled among a string of warehouses with corrugated-metal fronts.

After the flames were extinguished, shocked workers poured into the street and watched as fire crews sifted through debtis.

Josephina Perez, who works next door at a company that processes used clothing, said business owners looked out for each other in the blue-collar area.

The force of the blast blew in several ceiling windows in the 23,000-square-foot warehouse where she works.

“It was raining glass,” she said. “It was so scary.”

Acetylene Cylinder Safe Transportation

Acetylene cylinder explodes in van

Acetylene safe handling and transportation:  Here are pictures of an acetylene cylinder that was being transported in a van.  The acetylene tank was leaking and was ignited when activating a remote door lock device.

Never transport acetylene cylinders in a car or van.  Acetylene cylinders should be transportated in an open vehicle and safely secured to the vehicle.  The safest mode of transporation is to have your local supplier deliver the cylinders to your location.