"caused $2 million in damage...."

Flammable and combustible liquids are present in nearly every plant in our industry. If used or stored improperly, serious fires may occur. The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog has posted incidents where fires were made worse when improperly stored chemicals ignited. Here is a recent story that emphasizes the need for proper use and storage of flammable and combustible liquids:

Fuel and oil helped feed a fire inside a business during the week of December 1, 2014 that caused $2 million in damage, officials said.

Firefighters heard explosions inside the business as more than 60 firefighters tried to get the flames under control, Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Captain said. Machine oil also helped fuel the flames, OCFA Captain said, sending a tall plume of black smoke over Santa Ana.

The fire was reported at 1:08 p.m., after people heard a loud explosion. “When the fire hit (drums with hydraulic fluid), there were some significant explosions,” OCFA Captain said.

Firefighters tackled the flames from a defensive position, shooting water from truck companies with ladders that were extended above the building. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control before by 1:45 p.m. The company, Aluminum Precision Products, makes aluminum molds used to make airplane and vehicle parts.

Five buildings take up space in the commercial area, but only one of them was affected by the flames. That building was a total loss, with the fire causing an estimated $500,000 worth of damage to the structure and $1.5 million worth of damage to the contents of the business. “It’s going to have to be completely torn down and rebuilt,” OCFA Captain said.

Many of the workers had gone on a break when the fire broke out, and no injuries were reported. Fire officials praised the company for being able to provide them a detailed description of which chemicals were stored within the building and where they were located, and for quickly evacuating workers.

Fire investigators believe the blaze was caused by a failure of a natural gas supply line.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog commends this aluminium company for quickly and effectively communicating with the responding fire department to where chemicals were stored within the building and for quickly evacuating their workers safely. Does your plant have a diagram showing where and what type of hazards are located in your facility? If not why?

The APSB recommends that all plants invite their local fire departments to their facilities for a plant tour on an annual basis. Which will allow the fire dept. personnel an opportunity to become familiar with the layout of your facility. In addition the location of exits, hazards, utility shutoff valves can be identified. 

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has information regarding flammable materials, which can be found here. OSHA has a great document titled “How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations”, which can be found here.

Workplace.net has an informative document titled “Flammable and Combustible Liquids: Storage and Handling”. It can be viewed here.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has information on flammable and combustible liquids which can be found here.

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