When I graduated from college, I got a degree in engineering. The title was Chemical Engineering. I also started working for a degree in Finance. On a job search, I met someone interested in my education, especially in chemistry. Turned out to be interested in offering me a job. My field would be Fire Protection Engineering. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but I needed a job. Work started on Monday morning. I did not have much depth of knowledge on or about the job, where facility was located, duties, etc.
Necessary papers were signed, and I was employed. When I asked “where do I work”, the “Boss” said, you work where we need you. One of our insured had an explosion at his plant and we need to know the story. Call when you know about the reason, etc. I said, “What about the man covering that area. He replied, he doesn’t know nor does the insured. I was to determine the cause, and other details. Believe me, I thought “what did I get myself into”. So I jumped into my car and drove just over 90 miles to the site. Found the site.
Was introduced to the Plant Engineer. He told me they were working on the top of a 20-foot diameter and 15 feet high steel tank. I asked if any workers hurt. Yes, two ended up in the hospital and there were several treated at the site. He explained. During the winter they had to determine how high the fluid was in the steel tank. They had a 3-foot diameter hole in the roof of the tank. They would open the top of the tank, stick a wood rod in the tank down to the bottom, remove the rod and measure how much of the rod was wet. The footage was recorded and the amount converted from charts to gallons. Their way of determining how much the tank contained was old fashion, but worked. Only problem was in winter with snow on the tank, the tank top became slippery and it was dangerous doing measuring working on the tank.
Their idea was to weld rods (or pipes) into a handling position on top of the tank. This would provide the workers on top of the tank something to hang on to or tie to. Well, the tank top was found about 20 feet away from the tank. The tank had contained a new combustible liquid used in coating the product. The new combustible liquid was the explosive material.
We now knew the explosive material and needed to find what set it off? I asked how were they handling the installation of the new hand grasping material. He explained, he said welding the grasping material for the roof using gas fired welding torches. Unfortunate this was in an area near were there other Solved. The fumes of the coating material in the area of the new product handling was highly combustible and the fumes were ignited by careless handling of the welding torches and ignited the coating material and other products in the area.
set the combustible coating on fire and fumes carried the flames to anything combustible in the area.The Plant Engineer agreed. Problem solved. I phoned my new boss and explained what had happened. Then I told him I was heading back to the office. After that, any time a fire problem occurred, I was sent to resolve it.