Hot Work: Hidden Hazards

CSB Safety Video detailing a 2010 hot work accident at DuPont Buffalo

[@performa9523]

For a company with an "excellent safety record" DuPont sure does show up in a lot of these videos...

[@VexingRaven]

In fairness, DuPont is absolutely massive. It's expected that they'd show up more often than smaller companies. Not an excuse for negligence of course, but they not be quite as bad as the number if videos would have you believe.

[@100mphFastball]

It seems like: every plant will eventually blow up.

[@MrMundo3d]

Safety record is a misleading statement, it only track major accident doesn’t count minor wounds, or labor wounds, company doesn’t want to show minor wounds because it represent unsafe conditions, of every wounds is recordable it will show a wider picture

[@agoniaXdunya]

It was a contractor

[@Christopher_TG]

Dupont is also a very huge company, so even if they have an excellent record, they're bound to show up. Imagine you have two chemical companies, one owns 1000 plants while other only owns 50. The bigger company has an excellent safety record, an accident at only 1% of their plants in the last 20 years. The smaller company is far less safe, having had an accident at 10% of their plants in that same timeframe. That would result in the bigger company having an accident at 10 of their plants while the smaller company having an accident at 5 of their plants. If you only looked at the number of accidents, you'd mistakenly think the bigger company was less safe.

[@dabe4506]

Attn welders: always carry a flammable gas monitor, even if you need to buy one yourself. Your life may depend on it.

[@m1st3rxmayh3m3]

You might not be able to detect it inside of a tank

[@agoniaXdunya]

3:55

[@ReverendTed]

I was honestly surprised to see they'd not only used a monitor, but had continuous air monitoring around the tanks. If there's one thing the CSB videos have taught me, though, is that you should never do hot work on or near a tank unless you know for CERTAIN what's in it, and assumptions about the flammability of the contents can be wrong with deadly consequences.

[@CMDRSweeper]

Better just mount the welder and walk away for 15 minutes. If it doesn't go boom, then it is safe :D

[@muthukrishnankalyanasundar564]

@@m1st3rxmayh3m3 I appreciate your query. What is the best method to test for flammable gas within a tank without exposing the safety auditors to fugitive emissions?

[@OAleathaO]

Just remember that while the CSB does great investigative work into workplace accidents and makes great recommendations for change, that's all it can do: _make recommendations_. They can't mandate that any company or industry change anything. In that way they are like the NTSB. Many times the NTSB has to stand by like the CSB does and watch future accidents happen which would have been avoided had their recommendations been acted upon.

[@Satchmoeddie]

And many times when you read about the concerns CSB has and the solutions CSB advocates you go to the report and a "alternative" measure has been implemented. A compromise was made. $$$$$$$s trump safety every time. It takes 3-10 days to get a Site Incident Proposal in the semicon fab industry. You do not move ahead or make changes to the plan without a SIP. The petro-chemical industry is using mostly outdated to outright antiquated equipment, and these bastards put an acceptable loss of life formula in place. Having their insurance company pay for replacing a burned or blown up facility is often preferable to paying to update the facility. They can recoup their losses simply by raising the price of gasoline. The workers I got from the oil industry was some of the most productive workers, but they were also by far and still are the most dangerous workers, with the exception of illegal aliens. It is part of the work culture they come from. If you won't do it, someone else will. If someone else can get it done faster, they will replace you. They are both great workers, but you have to watch them like a bunch of two year olds.

[@m0r73n]

I find this puzzling, here in Norway the "safety boards" are the ones that makes the rules and enforce them and it just makes much more sense, what is the point of a recommendation when you need regulations

[@LastAvailableAlias]

They probably have to watch the same accident repeat and then civil lawsuits can point to knowledge of the recommendations

[@KrK007]

@@LastAvailableAlias Exactly. Lawyers can rip them a new one, but that doesn't bring back your dead family members.

[@flat-earther]

CSB says it is an independent investigation agency, which should make their investigations less biased compared to an agency that would have power to mandate

[@povmcdov]

These really are excellent videos. I don't work in the chemical industry, and I'm in Europe not the US, but I do work in a safety critical environment, and your channel is very thought provoking.

[@vestcoasttrashgnome8565]

We have some dupont facilities in norway, i have worked there as a contractor

[@seanb3516]

It's important to realize that had these workers not been injured in an explosion they would have still been exposed to a powerful carcinogen. The responsibility to check for explosive atmosphere was certainly present however the concern for not exposing workers to vinyl fluoride should have taken absolutely top spot. In the process of preventing worker contamination they probably would have spotted the explosive hazard.

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

Exactly. ANY halogenated olefin can safely be assumed to be highly carcinogenic. The number of fluoro-olefins that don't cause cancer (e.g. R-1234yf) can be counted on a single hand.

[@arbitterm]

Fines basically means "legal for the rich". We've leagalized total disregard for employee safety as long as decision making managers are safe from jail time.

[@sqeekykleen49]

The stockholders, the government officials permitting this to happen over and over by the same company. These are very repetitive stories. The vapor line was the only line they left open, and vapor is what burns. Dude with the detector probably took samples upwind so they could get an all clear. Most likely from orders from above.

[@sebastiannielsen]

No. Fines are the only way a company (as a company then) can be punished. Apart from revoking permits that allow them to store or work with hazardous chemicals. To put a manager into jail, it must be proven that the manager itself was positively negligient. Finding out the responsibility chain and finding out the exact responsibile person for the incident is complicated. Also the personal obligations are very low in corporations, by law, and that is because else the manager would get overhelmed with work if he was for example obligated to personally check that work was done as given. Instead, its enough that the manager gets a written paper that the work X and Y was done, and then its accepted. If the workers was negligent and didn't carry out work as-written, its not the managers fault if a later incident then occurs. Then we have the knowledge chain. What if someone insured the manager that vapors cannot go through that pipe because of pressure difference? Like "When the isolation valves are shut, the tank is full of air and vapors cannot enter" and then manager trusted that, and then it goes wrong because of that. Now I don't say it was like that, but you understand the evidence problem. Thats why fines and revocation of permits are used to punish companies. Then its only neccessary to prove that the company itself was negligent as whole, then its up to the company to patch up whats wrong. Usually, fines are a percentage of turnover, so rich doesn't get a lighter punishment than the poor.

[@mikuhatsunegoshujin]

@@sqeekykleen49 >Dude with the detector probably took samples upwind so they could get an all clear. Most likely from orders from above. this conspiratorial mindset. are you cointelpro making us look like a bunch of nuts?

[@sqeekykleen49]

@@mikuhatsunegoshujin cointelpro that is a three dollar word. Can you give me the definition please?

[@johntrauger68]

@@sqeekykleen49 Google, you might be surprised.

[@LanceCampeau]

I have watched every CSB video. Very well produced & useful

[@iViking90]

Sheldon Smith has a smooth voice.

[@contentedbuddha]

Jake Eckert I think he also did the "Engineering Disasters" on Modern Marvels.

[@ok.17092]

Hi lance

[@christopherhayden3911]

I’m gonna be extremely sad when I’m done watching them all :(

[@asvarien]

You know your plant uses / produces flammable gases / vapours, you know someone is going to be cutting / welding a tank... how much of a stretch is it to test the tank before allowing the work to happen?!

[@coreyandnathanielchartier3749]

Back in 1979 in Okinawa on a Marine base, I saw two welders working inside an underground jet fuel tank that had been empty for many years. There was a vapor explosion in the tank, luckily, it was a low-grade explosion, for they lived through it. Heating that metal leached chemicals out and built up an explosive atmosphere. Dry tanks can be more dangerous than full tanks. I'm surprised they don't require positive ventilation before and during this type of work, or filling with inert gas or water.

[@johnsmith-sp6yl]

inert gas can cause asphyxiation, especially in a closed tank. a lot of ventilation is a better fit for something like that. also good to keep in mind for the home shop; just cause it's inert, doesn't mean the argon for your welder won't kill ya.

[@user-pt2ln7fe3e]

always the poor contract worker !! :(

[@Pauly421]

Contract workers are disposable to big companies. Just a fine of like 0.01% of their profits that year or some such

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Never be "worker #1."

[@geoffreypiltz271]

As a motorcyclist who has modified bikes, I can say that everyone I knew was fully aware of the potential hazards of welding a small thing like a motorcycle fuel tank. Any welder who works on a storage tank, however small or large, should satisfy THEMSELVES that the atmosphere is safe before they start work.

[@AndyGreenT]

US CSB are a fantastic source of training materials - thanks for all your efforts to share key lessons.

[@Ben-Perlin]

Honestly they are pretty entertaining too, but I am all for making safety communication interesting because it motivates people to listen to the stories and learn to think about safety intuitively, and not just learn how to pass the assessment portion of the required trainings

[@ghost-facedhindu4275]

My shop always said, "vent the gas in the tank, or you might as well be cutting or grinding into a bomb."

[@tommunn5560]

I have never trusted someone else's flammable gas detector, only my own. Plus, things can affect the readings of a detector, and each one is different. If you have a flammable liquid and flush the air-gas mixture it can go back to a danger level in a few minutes if there is unseen liquid in tiny crevices that you don't see. Also, you carry your own padlocks to close and lock off any valves or electrical contactors and breakers. Recently, a worker went into a sausage grinder at a plant and did not lock off the contactor and switch and someone came and turned on the machine while the man was inside. Horrible! Then another man was locked inside a tuna oven after going inside for a repair because he did not lock off the oven and the electrically operated doors. He died a horrible death being cooked alive! My teachers always emphasized to either LOCK IT OFF or don't work on the unit. I've had people try to turn machinery on several times while I was inside until I just left the job undone and quit the particular job because this idiot would not keep his hands off the electrical switches and was trying to run it while I was working on it. People will kill you if you leave any way for them to do it!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Yeah, no. Strict rule, no putting my life in the hands of idiots or anyone who drives much worse than I do.

[@screaming_cat2007]

I’m getting into welding and my morbid curiosity led me to this channel a while back, this showed up and I knew that I should listen up and learn because it’s the most trustworthy agency with easy to understand analysis

[@Impedancenetwork]

These videos are fascinating. I worked in many oil and gas facilities and know all too well how these things happen.

[@NRC073]

That's why I spade off any valves/pipes myself, before entering a vesel as I don't trust operators or plant equipment. Your safety is in your own hands.

[@scowell]

Man these videos piss me off. Fines are not enough.

[@darkpassenger2852]

@Pet your cats shove your systemic racism insinuations up your ass, Karen.

[@anonymousposter6461]

@@darkpassenger2852 That's not what white collar means -- it doesn't mean white, it means rich. That is, the guy who refused to set a "precedent" of being safe because it would be expensive. I think it's undeniable that the workers pay for those "reduced" operating costs with their lives. Even after fines and litigation, the company is at net gain. So nothing changes. The guys in white collars go home to smoke cigars and drink scotch. Meanwhile the blue collar men get sick from exposure for pennies. It's unforgivable.

[@darkpassenger2852]

@@anonymousposter6461 no shit sherlock....and those systemic racism peddlers think most rich people are white, soooooooio

[@slightlyamusedblackkidfrom9153]

@@darkpassenger2852 you are aoutistic

[@Pauly421]

@@darkpassenger2852 Next time try to think before replying and proving to everyone that you're a total twat.

[@eTrainToday1]

This video does a great job of illustrating the dangers of hot work. Very nicely done.

[@PuffleFuzz]

This was chilling. This is even more chilling when I realized it happened locally. I live in Lockport and I learned about this case in 2014. My dad got a job here in 2017. I personally think that Dupont needed to learn communication skills, and should've rechecked the tanks the day of the repairs. At least I would've done that, and I'm usually never responsible about anything.

[@JohnSmith-wt7rb]

"Contract worker" - temp. If something happens to him, Dupont is in the clear...the guy works for ABC Temps Inc.One thing is for sure - everybody 'upstairs' is going home. Joe Sixpack.....nah.

[@Not_The_FBI_1992]

As much as I find these videos educational, coming from a guy who is going into building inspection, and safety, I wish they would give memoriam to the lives lost in these accidents.

[@adambuchbinder2791]

His name was Richard Folaron; he was 57. news.wbfo.org/post/osha-cites-dupont-and-buffalo-contractor-fatal-explosion

[@WendysCove]

Pls know, that I deeply appreciate all yr kindness at uploading these videos.

[@196Stefan2]

This reminds me of a fatal incident at the BASF plant 20 years ago, when two workers have been killed. They carried out welding work on a tank which contained methanol and formaldehyde.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I didn't know formaldehyde was flammable. Huh.

[@milesedgeworth132]

Or the BASF incident in 1921 where a tower of ammonium nitrate exploded and killed 600 people. It created a crater 62ft deep.

[@FNKB888]

I have to thank UCSB for helping me to stay safe, Thank you for such detailed breakdowns of what goes wrong and how to avoid it, as a welder now, I use this knowledge every single day on the job!

[@ejazulhaq9193]

CSB Team you are doing fantastic work, please carry on, this is really very helpful for chemical plant operator.

[@ChristoherWGray]

Is it just me or do alot of these chemical processes have a junction where....insert toxic chemical name here...is "vented to atmosphere"

[@Pauly421]

Yeah that seems to be built in to every chemical plant... Concerning.

[@Theramblingreviewer]

Very informative videos on industrial safety.

[@alice989]

I love the delivery of the talking head sections of these videos.

[@lexzach]

You know they make good videos when people not even in the industry that these videos are relevant to are watching them.

[@charansingrajput5248]

CSB case studies are veryuseful to evaluate my personal information and skills in HSE

[@LastAvailableAlias]

The CSB does some great work. You can find plenty of videos online of people welding on tanks with fumes in them and the resulting explosion.

[@oron61]

The sad thing is the CSB has no power, and if it did, it would probably turn corrupt and come under control of a lobby, or politicians joining it would have no idea what they're doing, like every part of the EPA focused on carbon emissions and ignoring metallic contamination and chemicals that nature can't break down.

[@wilsonwilliams964]

This is indeed good for training, will change mindset towards health & safety within a workplace

[@obfuscated3090]

Welders and technicians should never assume anything. Check for lockout/tagout on machines, verify personally that tanks and pipe are empty and if required, inerted with shielding gas prior to you striking an arc or firing up a torch. Assume everyone else wants to kill you and remember even nice people are often ignorant, stupid or both. I did and I lived to retire.

[@calobmcbee2186]

So idk if anyone else just watches these just to know things. None of these videos have any value in my field of work but it seems like good knowledge to have

[@MrJr1976]

That’s weird. I would never even CONSIDER working in an enclosed space without proper ventilation and without closing lines to/from the area

[@sergeybalashov3497]

Сварочные работы -это работы повышенной опасности. При их проведении требуется соблюдение всех инструкций и правил.

[@JohnDoe-eh4id]

Many explosions are caused by faulty sensors, confusing monitoring equipment, false computer alarms etc. It would be cool to see the chemical industry adopt some of the aerospace safety standards. Like having multi-channel sensor redundancy, so that the probability of sensor faults can be reduced to 10^-4 catastrophes per equipment per hour.

[@kenichiishirahama215]

I just noticed but I love how the animated operator just rag dolls when the explosion happens right at the beginning of the video

[@cyberneticsanity]

The fact they survived welding on tank 2 is a miracle considering the gas was present in there as well, likely lessened due to the shut down, only for lives to be taken on tank 1 due to lack of proper maintenance checks on the compressor and negligence from higher ups

[@squalie9]

I hope these hot workers are compensated relative to the danger

[@kalvinlabuik3366]

wait do they not have a hot work permit safety program and if not why ?

[@TlD-dg6ug]

"While a small flashtank released risidual vinyl fluoride into the atomosphere" yup, that sounds about right

[@KrK007]

It bothers me that seemingly similar accidents occur repeatedly. It's like these accidents and regulations are "blown off"... literally.

[@danielplowright5701]

I always love welding and smoking cigarettes near flammable gasses and chemicals. What can go wrong?

[@lyfitzgerald6466]

Same it’s my hobby

[@nigeldepledge3790]

Jeez, eleven accidents led to the issuing of a safety bulletin in 2010. How many people have to die before adequate safety procedures are mandated?

[@oron61]

This narrator needs to be in documentaries investigating all the crashes in Thomas the Tank engine in his spare time.

[@OnionRingsGaming]

You again dupont?

[@KrK007]

Just curious if funding has been cut for the CSB under the current administration. I've noticed that all videos have stopped, with several apparently in mid production. Bummer.

[@ianian8022]

This is much better csb

[@OneVerySadPanda]

Yeah… as an amateur welder, i always make sure any cylinder or part that can house a flammable gas is empty. Hell. I dont even trust propane tanks.

[@knarftrakiul3881]

You NEVER weld on any size tank or pipe without purging with nitrogen or in this case I would want lid opend so I could check inside

[@jeverett59]

Oh snap, a local review from CSB. A manufacturing facility I worked at machined Corian

[@wnytrashtrucks]

Damn i live in Tonawanda not to far from Dupont and never heard about this explosion, granted I was 10 when it happened.

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

Not only is vinyl fluoride flammable, it's pretty much just as carcinogenic as its sister molecule vinyl chloride. Exposing these workers to even ppm levels of the gas, let alone ignitable mixtures (10,000's of ppm), is beyond reckless. So much for DuPont being "known for safety". Disgusting.

[@KiloByte69]

They weren't knowingly exposed, you moron. Did you not watch the part about air quality outside the tank being continuously monitored?

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

I see. So by your logic, if someone "monitors" a person shooting into a crowd, then there's nothing to be concerned about. Hey, they were monitoring it! Monitoring a stupid activity is not the same thing as taking simple safety precautions that prevents the stupidity in the first place. The headspace of this tank should have been backfilled with an inert gas to prevent an explosion, for starters...and that would've only taken an hour and $20 worth of gas (and made for a much better weld). Furthermore welding on a non-gastight tank by definition is going to result in occupational exposure. As you heat up the enclosure, the gas is going to escape owing to the change in specific volume (Boyle's Law), and it doesn't take high levels of this stuff to cause lots of problems down the road (aggressive cancer). Unless the welder is required to wear a respirator, they will receive exposure well in excess of PEL. It never ceases to amaze me that people like you exist. You will side with demonstrably bad practices and stupidity to the point you will hurl insults, despite the fact you've been proven completely wrong and have no factual or logical basis for your opinion. God knows what motivates you, I'm guessing a combination of ego and the Dunning Kruger effect. Good luck with your asinine attitude and infantile anger issues.

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

It's pretty clear you are trying really hard to save face by throwing around insults. You just can't admit that you fucked up, it's always someone else's fault. It doesn't change the fact that you fucked up.

[@averagegeek3957]

+KiloByte You're beyond incompetent. Don't talk about stuff you don't understand.

[@smallmoneysalvia]

While clearly there were oversights, I’m not convinced they knowingly allowed for exposure. DuPont did a lot of things correctly here, monitoring the atmosphere around the tanks, locking out valves associated, etc. Should they have monitored the atmosphere inside the tank? Absolutely. Should they have known of the presence of hazardous gas? No question. Should they be held at fault for the exposure and explosion? Definitely. Did they intentionally expose anyone? Nothing here indicates that, this just seems to be out of negligence rather than malicious intent.

[@formerleewarmer4336]

Why hadn't uscbs recommend atmospheric monitoring long before any of these explosions occurred? Or had they and the companies not did this?

[@tellucas]

With a shared vapor/vent line all three tanks could blown and possibly carried the flame to other parts of the process.

[@raybarajas2547]

Where was his fire watch at??

[@majedaljaber134]

Thanks a lot!

[@quxyz25]

Lessons learned if you are doing hot work on top of a tank or near one check the tank or around your work area more than once for gas that might combust. Just generally take 10 seconds or so periodically to check for combustible gas while the work is being done.

[@Johnny53kgb-nsa]

I've worked in a Dupont plant year's ago, and like all chemical companies I worked in, it was nasty and a accident waiting to happen.

[@Feverything2030]

Induction heat cutting is the best for those hard to reach places.

[@tippo5341]

In past employment, if I so much as wanted to use a hammer and bolster, so not "technically hot work" which "could cause a spark" or ignition source in a potentially explosive atmosphere, all sources of of fumes had to be checked, and a sniffer was ALWAYS present at and around the area...this was whether working in a refinery, a tank farm or a retail setting near bowsers or vent stacks. If a level was detected even nearing the LEL, works would cease until it deemed safe enough to continue. Cheers from Aus!!!!

[@ImVeryBrad]

even so locking valves for lines is not enough. they should all be blinded.

[@CHRIS-gl1dl]

I wonder who wrote that permit

[@hyrulemazta2296]

Man these types of stories always freak me out every time I have to do hot work similad to these scenarios

[@maxpeterson8616]

Gas testing failing to detect the gases to worry about seems a common theme.

[@filanfyretracker]

now I know why when they pull out old residential heating oil tanks its not uncommon for them to dump a crapload of dry ice in. the CO2 from it "melting" forces out anything flammable vapor or just makes an environment where combustion is possible by forcing out the oxygen.

[@NeoRipshaft]

Hopefully the families of those lost are afforded some comfort by the steps taken to prevent such tragedies in the future. And anyone who is against informed regulation is an enemy to us all.

[@haroldburrows4770]

Never trust a company saying it's safe, check it yourself

[@trezndawg4240]

How hot 🔥 are the sparks coming from weld arc? Or, it don't take much heat to ignite a flammable chemical?

[@jermainerace4156]

Basically, if you can see a spark in daylight, it is more than hot enough to light off flammable petrochemicals and volatile hydrocarbons. I worked a shop that did lots of welding, and also preparatory grinding and so forth. Trash cans and sweatshirts were very commonly lit on fire by weld and grinding sparks.

[@garbage4996]

Wow Dupont comes up a lot

[@I_SuperHiro_I]

I work with Resistance Furnaces, Induction Furnaces, and Electrode Furnaces. 2 of those use pure Oxygen to promote combustion. Whenever I have to read through site specific training, I also say “yes” to hot work just to be safe, but I don’t think it qualifies.

[@Fredrovicius]

At 1:18 they show the speed limit of 13mph. Maybe some will think it's weird they chose an unlucky number.

[@trainsbangsandautomobiles824]

I came to the comments to say just that lol

[@alanj9391]

13 mph is approx 20 Km/hr, which may be how they arrived at the figure.

[@Wanderers-Bulgaria]

Who was accountable from DuPont about this incident?

[@samenamenamesame2834]

Dr. Rafael Moure looks and sounds like Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes ! " I see nothing" LOL

[@tommyg.6977]

easy way to stay safe is to consider all tank contents to be explosive.

[@Pe-Ya]

DuPont knows safety better than anyone

[@shermanyoung8185]

That contract company was Mollenberg Betz

[@anderstempel916]

I feel bad about this one. It seems they took multiple precautions to prevent an accident and genuinely believed the work area was safe.

[@Matt-xs7qo]

CSB: I love these videos. The effort going into them is consistently amazing. I would suggest allowing your employees to speak in a more conversational manner, though professional. They seem stiff and it’s hard to take them seriously, even with the subject matter.

[@randomknight2585]

I notice a pattern with du pont..

[@hugh_manatee]

“I wonder what’s inside of this tank, hmmm maybe I should test outside of the tank, yea that’s it”

[@SuperYellowsubmarin]

Unverified assumptions is what causes accidents.

[@humayunkhan1591]

We had a similar activity at adnoc gas processing plant ruwais last year. We had to cut and weld the rafter supports and some roof repair job at a Diesel Tank. Diesel tank was spaded, drained and purged prior to start the hot work. Continous gas monitoring was done during the activity. 😊

[@BrianGLee-bc7hj]

Did they not have constant air monitoring?

[@BigHenFor]

Not in the tanks, but outside the tanks.

[@ChristoherWGray]

Those hot work permits are usually just handed out very cavalierly and without serious thought process

[@typograf62]

CSB reccommends that companies do not kill workers ...

[@DudeUnperfect21]

"Well, hundreds of workers killed and billions in damages later, we're finally 100% safe."

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

Does anything ever happen to the people that sign the papers saying everything is safe and it’s ok to go ahead with the work??

[@abbeyjane1306]

Never, in the U.S. they face no consequences.

[@RiversJ]

I wonder why big corporations like this can't seem to figure out that they could infact have their own specialist teams that are explicitly trained for this kind of work, they have enough plants to warrant such a team where it could likely be even cheaper than contractors plus get the job done right every time.

[@Beardwhip]

Lead investigator Mark Wingard looks remarkably like Chris Pratt

[@mattlogue1300]

How does a fluoride burn?

[@mattlogue1300]

Answered self: the double bond breaks between carbons. It isn't a simple ionic

[@tew2608]

Not a safety engineer but do hands on work on and around industrial equipment. It was only my common sense to first think they would have checked the air inside the tank. Both top and bottom as heavy gasses stay low in cool air but may rise when the heat from welding enters the process. The monitors outside of course is to monitor the hazards in the air the workers could be exposed to. Very sad for all involved.

[@amy-joe5772]

Why wait for an accident to happen before you do anything about it

[@thepaladin8015]

DuPont cut corners on the metallurgy of the piping, Carbon still is cheap but it costs.

[@orbnaes]

4:32 Yeah nice welding hood there buddy. Also that's a oxyacetylene torch? I mean I think you can technically weld with that but nobody does?

[@goneutt]

I know one of these videos is about nitrogen asphyxiation, but flushing tanks that regularly hold flammables can't be that onerous.

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

It's not. It just takes a little more time and preparation. It's just another N2 tank, a regulator, and a hose, and an hour or so to let it fill up.

[@alanj9391]

In my experience, most fixed roof tanks holding potentially flammable liquids are Oxygen free in the vapour space, either by Nitrogen or fuel gas (hydrocarbon) purges, vented to a safe are, or to the flare system.

[@stephenjacks8196]

Seattle has more than average boaters. Every year someone is in the news for welding a duel tank they thought was empty.

[@UQRXD]

From the looks of the CGI the tanks had no shaft seal that sure didn't help. Always make sure the tank is empty and balked off valves can leak. The hazards were in perfect place for an event.