Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Safety board releases report on Barton Solvents explosion
The likely cause of a disastrous July 2007 explosion and fire at a Kansas solvents distribution facility was a static spark resulting from a loosely linked level-measuring float in a tank filled with a nonconductive flammable liquid, according to a Chemical Safety Board investigative report released June 26.
The incident led to the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents and destroyed the Barton Solvents facility in Valley Center, KS.
Investigators said the spark ignited the air-vapor mixture inside the tank as it was being filled. Nonconductive flammable liquids can accumulate and maintain static electrical energy, which discharges more slowly than from more conductive liquids, investigators said.
Board member William Wark said companies need to understand the hazards associated with nonconductive flammable liquids that were stored and transferred at the Barton facility, and called for improved Material Safety Data Sheets.