| Case Name |
Explosion at a fireworks manufacturing factory |
| Pictograph |
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| Date |
June 16, 1992 |
| Place |
Moriya, Ibaragi, Japan |
| Location |
Fireworks factory |
| Overview |
The explosion accident occurred at a fireworks manufacturing factory on June 16th, 1992. A large amount of explosives kept in the general warehouse and the raw materials warehouse exploded. It became a major disaster with three people killed, 58 injured, 15 factory buildings burned, and 631 private houses damaged. The cause of ignition has not been determined. The following possibilities have been indicated. Explosives in the warehouses, which were not explosives magazines, were ignited by impact or friction on opening or closing the shutter of the warehouse or ignition occurred by temperature rise from reaction heat or static electricity. |
| Incident |
The explosion occurred at a fireworks manufacturing factory. It was a catastrophe with three people killed, 58 injured, 15 factory buildings burned, 631 private houses damaged, 18 vehicles burned, 20 vehicles partially damaged, etc. Moreover, 15 craters were generated in the factory site. |
| Processing |
Manufacture |
| Individual Process |
Other |
| Substance |
Explosives |
| Type of Accident |
Explosion, fire |
| Sequence |
Two workers were carrying out shell-production work at a charging and forming workshop on June 16th, 1992. Other workers might have been working at a general materials warehouse. (The workers concerned died, so the facts cannot be confirmed.) There was testimony that white smoke filled in and around the general warehouse and the first explosion subsequently occurred. Afterwards, a large amount of stored fireworks exploded one after another, causing a serious disaster. |
| Cause |
The cause of the ignition that triggered the accident could not be specified. The following causes were presumed.
1. The explosives kept in the general warehouse or scattered on the floor while working were ignited by impact or friction on opening or closing of the shutter of the warehouse.
2. Ignition was caused due to a heat reserve by the reaction accelerate effects of moisture absorption of explosives or static electricity.
In addition, explosives and raw materials, which were stored in the raw materials warehouse and the general materials warehouse in large quantities, were ignited by small-scale combustion resulting in a large explosion. |
| Countermeasures |
1. Improving the manufacturing safety manual of a fireworks factory.
2. Safety education and training for fireworks manufacturers and employees.
3. Strengthening of on-the-spot inspections. |
| Knowledge Comment |
1. As most fireworks compositions are sensitive, close attention is necessary when handling them.
2. When a large amount of fireworks explodes, it has a strong destructive power like high explosives. |
| Background |
1. Large amount of explosives were kept in the warehouse although it was prohibited by law.
2. Explosives and the raw materials were managed improperly.
3. In the background, there is a fact demand for fireworks is concentrated in the summer, so large amounts of fireworks are required to be stored before the demand season. Therefore, management tends to become insufficient. |
| Sequel |
The fireworks manufacturing company went bankrupt after this accident. |
| Reason for Adding to DB |
Example of a big disaster caused due to storage of a large amount of explosive substances at the site |
| Scenario |
| Primary Scenario
|
Poor Value Perception, Poor Safety Awareness, Inadequate Risk Recognition, Organizational Problems, Poor Management, Slackness of Management, Usage, Transport/Storage, Irresponsible Storage, Malicious Act, Rule Violation, Act Violation, Secondary Damage, External Damage, Explosion, Bodily Harm, Death, 3 peson died, Bodily Harm, Injury, 58 person injured, Loss to Organization, Social Loss, Bankruptcy, Damage to Society, Social Systems Failure, Badly damaged 2 km radius
|
|
| Sources |
Outline of significant accidents in 1992, Safety yearbook, p. 222.
MITI High pressure gas and explosives protection council, The explosives committee, explosives accident investigation subcommittee (Ibaragi Prefect. fireworks accident investigation committee), Research report on accident at fireworks manufacturer in Ibaragi Prefect. Kitasouma District Moriya town (1992).
High Pressure Gas Safety Inst. of Japan, High-pressure gas protection overview, p.275(1993).
|
| Number of Deaths |
3 |
| Number of Injuries |
58 |
| Physical Damage |
The area of about 2 km radius around the factory was damaged. Fifteen factory buildings burned. Facilities of two drying fields collapsed. 16 private houses near the factory burned. 7 buildings collapsed. 50 buildings partially collapsed. A total of 558 buildings were partially destroyed, including window glass damage. 18 vehicles burned out and 20 were partially damaged. The telephone cable was damaged by fire. |
| Consequences |
A total of 234 telephone lines were damaged by fire. |
| Multimedia Files |
Fig2.Photograph of fireworks and powder magazine
|
| Field |
Chemicals and Plants
|
| Author |
OGAWA, Terushige (Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University)
TAMURA, Masamitsu (Center for Risk Management and Safety Sciences, Yokohama National University)
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