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    Ethanol Tank Fire Incident Report

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    N P Srinivasarao
    An ethanol tank at a facility in Australia exploded, injuring one person and leaving another missing. First responders observed large flames and were concerned about the fire spreading. They worked to contain the fire and cool nearby tanks. Questions are raised about the suitability of the location and fire equipment. Another incident involving an ethanol tanker explosion is briefly mentioned.

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    Ethanol Tank Fire Incident Report

    Uploaded by

    N P Srinivasarao
    190 views20 pages
    An ethanol tank at a facility in Australia exploded, injuring one person and leaving another missing. First responders observed large flames and were concerned about the fire spreading. They worked to contain the fire and cool nearby tanks. Questions are raised about the suitability of the location and fire equipment. Another incident involving an ethanol tanker explosion is briefly mentioned.

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    Ethanol Tank Fire incident report for safe work procedures

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    Ethanol Tank Fire incident report

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    An ethanol tank at a facility in Australia exploded, injuring one person and leaving another missing. First responders observed large flames and were concerned about the fire spreading. They worked to contain the fire and cool nearby tanks. Questions are raised about the suitability of the location and fire equipment. Another incident involving an ethanol tanker explosion is briefly mentioned.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    190 views20 pages

    Ethanol Tank Fire Incident Report

    Uploaded by

    N P Srinivasarao
    An ethanol tank at a facility in Australia exploded, injuring one person and leaving another missing. First responders observed large flames and were concerned about the fire spreading. They worked to contain the fire and cool nearby tanks. Questions are raised about the suitability of the location and fire equipment. Another incident involving an ethanol tanker explosion is briefly mentioned.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 20

    Ethanol Tank Fire

    Manildra, Inc.
    Port Kembla, NSW, Australia
    3 Mar 04
    R.A. Hawrelak
    CBE 317
    CBE 497

    The Incident
    One person is missing, and another
    has minor injuries after an explosion
    and fire at an ethanol tank at Port
    Kembla, south of Wollongong, in New
    South Wales. The tank, 7 million litres
    of inflammable liquid, blew up near the
    Port Kembla steelworks shortly before
    10am AEDT.

    First Responder Observations


    The roof was blown off the tank and was lifted
    some 30 meters into the air, only to land next to
    the tank and damage the firefighting equipment
    for the whole installation!!"
    The flames were quite spectacular, sometimes
    leaping 50 meters into the sky.
    There are concerns the flames will now spread
    to other fuel storage tanks containing both
    ethanol and oil.

    First Responder Observations


    The blaze in the ethanol tank has
    burned for most of yesterday and forced
    the evacuation of local businesses and
    hundreds of residents.
    "Because it's an ethanol-based fire we
    put a foam blanket over the fire to cut
    the oxygen out to break the combustion
    cycle,"

    First Responder Observations


    Fire fighting foam is also being sent to
    the scene under police escort.
    "We have set up water curtains
    between the tanks to cool the air
    between the tanks to alleviate the
    danger the fire will spread.

    Questions That Should Be Asked

    Was the location of the tank farm and its proximity to populated
    areas suitable?

    Was the location of the local fire fighting equipment suitable in


    view of the potential consequences of an incident?

    Was the need for an adequate supply of foam determined in


    advance in view of the potential consequences of an incident?

    Were the ethanol tanks blanketed with a N2 pad?

    Were tanks vents being flared?

    Was hot work being performed in the area prior to the incident?

    Another Ethanol Incident


    In Feb 04, a tanker carrying ethanol
    exploded just off the shore of Virginia. The
    ship sank and there were only a few life
    raft survivors.
    Unfortunately, no pictures and very little
    information are available.

    Ethanol - NIOSH

    CAMEO
    CAMEO is a suite of software programs you can use to
    plan for and respond to chemical emergencies. It was
    developed for chemical emergency planners and
    responders by the CAMEO team. That team includes the
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chemical
    Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (EPA
    CEPPO, online at www.epa.gov/swercepp) and the
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office
    of Response and Restoration (NOAA OR&R, online at
    response.restoration.noaa.gov ). CAMEO includes a set of
    databases, or modules, a toxic gas dispersion model
    ("plume model") called ALOHA, and an electronic
    mapping program called MARPLOT. CAMEO runs on
    Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh computers.
    AND ITS A FREE DOWNLOAD!!!

    CAMEO Firefighting
    Do not extinguish fire unless flow can be
    stopped. Use water in flooding quantities
    as fog. Solid streams of water may be
    ineffective. Cool all affected containers
    with flooding quantities of water. Apply
    water from as far a distance as possible.
    Use "alcohol" foam, dry chemical or
    carbon dioxide. ( AAR, 1999)

    CAMEO Fire Hazard


    FLAMMABLE. Flashback along vapor trail
    may occur. Vapor may explode if ignited
    in an enclosed area. (USCG, 1999)

    Ethanol Vapor Pressure

    Ethanol Flammability

    End Of Presentation

    Learn how to store, handle, and ship a Class 1B Flammable


    Liquid.

    It may save your life!

    Potential Questions on CBE 317 exam.

    Special thanks to Norman Nibber, VP, AON Inc

    Special thanks to P.J. Fink, VP, Kemex, Inc

    Professor Hawrelak, UWO, Dept of Chemical Engineering

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