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Liquid Oxygen Cylinder Explosion

Liquid Oxygen Cylinder Explosion. Improper methods used to render scrap cylinder unserviceable Unsafe modifications to cylinder design. The incident described in the following presentation did not involve an Airgas company. Accident Profile.

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Liquid Oxygen Cylinder Explosion

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  1. Liquid Oxygen Cylinder Explosion Improper methods used to render scrap cylinder unserviceable Unsafe modifications to cylinder design The incident described in the following presentation did not involve an Airgas company.

  2. Accident Profile • Two individuals (ages 42 and 60) found a liquid oxygen cylinder that had been removed from service and left at a scrap metal dealer • The individuals were self-employed in scrap metal cutting operations and intended to use the cylinder in their work

  3. Accident Profile • The individuals had access to a liquid oxygen supplier where cylinder ownership would not be questioned • Jury-rigging fill connections, the first attempt to fill the cylinder resulted in rapid venting through the Pressure Relief Device (PRD)

  4. Accident Profile • The PRDs were removed and plugged • The cylinder was filled while onboard a pickup truck • The cylinder, which had no vacuum, was now unable to vent excess pressure

  5. Accident Profile • While being transported down a busy highway, the pickup truck experienced a flat tire • Shortly thereafter, the cylinder exploded with the results shown in the following slides

  6. Pickup truck on which the cylinder was being transported

  7. Pickup truck on which the cylinder was being transported

  8. Pickup and cylinder remains

  9. Cylinder top

  10. Cylinder outer shell, bottom

  11. Cylinder bottom shell

  12. PRD location was plugged using a threaded cap

  13. Plug/Cap Hole in vacuum port

  14. Annular Space Both inner and outer shells separated at bottom welds

  15. Vehicle Location Cylinder exploded at 12:40 PM while transport vehicle was parked on busy Interstate highway Cylinder Trajectory

  16. The blast blew one individual across 5 lanes of traffic. The other was blown approximately 40 feet. Both survived

  17. Plywood applied over hole in roof Cylinder flew approximately ¼ mile before plunging through the roof of an apartment, severing a main natural gas line and coming to rest in the living space

  18. Despite heavy damage, no injuries to apartment tenants were reported

  19. Apartment interior

  20. Note that the media reported the event as a Butane cylinder explosion

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