Death from hydrogen gas cylinder blast in IISc Bengaluru

A person was thrown about 20 feet away, hit the wall and died due to suspected hydrogen cylinder blast.  3 others sustained injuries during the incident. 

The window panes and 20 m high roof sheet got damaged.

Small scale hydrogen explosions are made to create shock waves for conducting experiments.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/laboratory-accident-at-iisc-kills-one-injures-three/article25671763.ece

https://www.deccanherald.com/city/research-scholar-killed-3-706586.html

Locking of emergency door leads to death in a fire incident

An explosion and fire during filling of gas cylinders led to the death of a person (apprentice) doing the work. The main door was blocked by flames. The second door was locked and could not be opened in time resulting in suffocation and burn injuries related death.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/teenage-apprentice-died-in-gas-fire-after-bosses-padlocked-container-door-a6806316.html

Unsafe transport of gas cylinder

A picture speaks more than the words.

WISHING ALL A CONTENDED, HEALTHY, PEACEFUL, HAPPY, PROSPEROUS AND SAFE YEAR.

Compressed Gas Safety » SafetySmart

Compressed Gas Safety » SafetySmart

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Gas cylinder safety

Following link is about BOC guidelines for gas cylinder safety.

http://www.uq.edu.au/ohs/pdfs/OHYG-BOCGasCylinderSafety.pdf

Gas cutting - Two workers burnt and four injured during the fire

It is reported that two workers died and four more were injured during gas cutting of an abandoned chemical plant machinery in a resultant fire. The chemical factory not in use for two years was purchased and renovation work was taken up. While cutting the big machinery with gas cutters, the sparks fell on the plastic boxes nearby that contained residual chemicals and quick spread of fire caused the deaths and injuries. The fire was brought under control after four hours of struggle.

To avoid such incidents, ensure:

1. equipment free from chemicals/combustibles inside and outside
2. absence of all combustibles/ inflammable atleast within 15 m radius of proposed hot work to avoid flying sparks falling on these materials
3. sufficient pressure in oxygen and cutting gas cylinders
4. good condition of hoses, torches
5. flashback arrestors in both hose lines
6. use of friction lighter
7. clear means of access/egress
8. availability of minimum numbers of extinguishers
9. sufficient illumination and ventilation
10. training
11. supervision, etc

Welder dies in blast

In an incident on 16.12.2011 Friday at visakhapatnam, a welder died and another person was injured due to gas cylinder explosion in a tinkering painting workshop. Police suspect the blast is due broken knob of a gas cylinder. The deceased suffered a fatal blow to his skull in the blast.
In another report on the same incident, it is stated that explosion occurred when the person was trying to open a carbon machine and the cylinder exploded and hit his head.
From the above two reports, it appears that the person while working on some equipment/machine, an unintentional action led to hitting and breaking of the adjacent gas cylinder knob and flying of the knob (like a rocket?) hit his head causing the death.
Normally welding gas cylinders are kept in the trolley and chained. The broken knob should not have caused explosion unless other wise it is not secured and is acetylene cylinder. As acetylene is not stable and is sensitive to pressure/impact/shock, any fall of unsecured acetylene cylinder can lead to such explosion. May be the broken knob dislodging with great force due to cylinder gas pressure could have hit the skull and led to death.

In a similar incident earlier at another place, it is reported that a broken knob lead to gas release at high pressure and the resultant blast killed a person.

Cylinder explosion during unloading - 2 deaths, 1 injured

The incident of LPG cylinder explosion while transported with oxygen cylinders, root cause analysis, measures to be taken and a PDF file containing some photos are available at the link below.
http://www.citehr.com/360198-cylinder-explosion.html
(The content is reproduced as the author permitted sharing this information without restrictions when some other interested reader enquired in the forum in which this article appeared. Thanks to the author.)

INCIDENT :

Two fatalities & one serious injury occurred in one of the major steel plant, while unloading of gas cylinders from the truck as seen in the photographs.

Brief Description :
During unloading the Oxygen cylinders from a truck which is loaded with 95 Oxygen & 5 LPG cylinders, the oxygen cylinder hit the neck ring of LPG cylinder which gave way its welding causing LPG leak followed by explosion & fire.Further the valve of the oxygen cylinder too got damaged & leaked causing explosion & the cylinder flown like a rocket. Two persons who were engaged for unloading were died & one person met with serious injuries.

Probable Causes :

1) The oxygen cylinders were stored in horizontal position & without protective caps.
2) LPG cylinders were kept along with oxygen cylinders.
3) Smoking in the area.

Lessons to be Learnt :
1) Gas cylinders need to be transported in vertical position
2) No gas cylinder is to be transported / handled without its protective cap. No cylinders should be received in our premises without having its cap.
3) Oxygen cylinder should not be transported along with cylinders containing flammable gas like LPG, Acetylene etc.
4) No smoking need to be strictly followed during transportation / handling the gas cylinders.
5) Gas cylinders need to be unloaded using standard method & not by throwing them.

Pl review the existing practices and takes appropriate actions. Please communicate to all, own / contractor employees about this incident.

Sharjah blast damages over 10 shops, 15 cars

Sharjah blast damages over 10 shops, 15 cars

There is a blast in a cafeteria due to gas leak from LPG gas cylinder that caused damage to 10 shops and 15 cars. We underestimate the destructive power of domestic LPG cylinders and nothing happened till now does not mean that we are safe. We have to check the condition of the cylinder, condition of the regulator and condition of the hose. We have to turn off the regulator when not in use. It is common only to close the knob on the burner instead of closing the regulator also. There were many incidents of passersby on the road getting injured/died because of fragments generated during the blast hitting them.

Gas cylinder leak

I heard an incident from my friend about LPG leak and fire. After the cylinder became empty, a filled cylinder was connected and when the burner was lit, leak was suspected. To ensure that the gas is leaking, they tested it by taking a lit match stick. Immediately, it caught fire at the regulator and they cried loud for help. Hearing the cries, a person outside, assuming robbery attempt, came with a stick. Seeing the fire, he hit the regulator with the stick which dislodged the regulator and gas fire also stopped.